Sakura Taisen Kyoukan no Roze
by Benji Himura
Summary: What connections could exist between an assassin his child and the Imperial Defense Force? A silent dying oath and an unspoken pact for revenge, a quest for revenge is never easy. What an assassin can do to protect life instead of taking it?
1. An assassin’s rose

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. Some anime or manga characters might show up in the story I also don't own then. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter one: An assassin's rose

Kyoto December tenth 1925; 1:23 AM

The once quiet night is filled with noises and screams from men and women. Benji looks down from his hiding spot, on the streets bellow him there are many men running around looking for something or someone. 'I have really outdone myself this time.' He thinks looking at them from the safety of the roof where he is hiding. 'This is what happens when the clients doesn't give me the proper information about my targets. I really should find another way of make my living.'

With practiced ease Benji moves over the rooftops avoiding the streets and his pursuers. Many blocks away Benji moves to an alley where he gets to the street and removes a mask from his face, he walks to the streets, he is wearing black trousers, a white button down shirt, a black jacket over it, rubber soled boots and black gloves. His hair reaches the middle of his back and is tied in a tight ponytail with two elastic bands, one in the base of his neck tying it and the second one lower on his hair near to the end of the strands holding them together lessening the hair volume.

Benji walks thorough the empty streets of the area where he currently is, he moves to a building near of Kyoto's pleasure neighborhood, in there he moves to his apartment. "Finally back." He commented opening the door, he takes out his shoes and leaves them on the entry. Silently he moves to the bedroom, he checks on a small bed and smiles seeing a four years old girl sleeping. 'Well at least she is sleeping soundly.' He thinks taking out his clothes, changing to his sleeping clothes. He places a long sheathed knife on a nightstand besides him and places a large black pistol besides the knife, before lying on his bed to get some sleep.

**Benji tensely walks thru a silent mansion hall. He can feel the scent of blood in the air; he enters inside the mansion dinning hall and finds everyone dead. "I was beaten on this contract." He mutters in English. "The client for sure wanted the target dead." He moves closer of the corpses of maids, butlers and five people from high society, two of them being foreign, easily guessed since they both have blonde hair and occidental features.**

"**Why killing everyone? The target was only that man over there…" Benji muttered at the senseless deaths, not that killing a specific person was less senseless. He is about to leave the room when he feels a faint grip on his pants leg, he looks down and sees the blonde woman holding his pants. 'One of them is still alive?' he thinks. (Please… you have to save my baby…) she says in Japanese.**

"**I don't speak Japanese ma'am if you want to say something do in English." Benji replied kneeling near of the woman, she was a collateral victim he couldn't just leave her to die alone like that, at the very least he would finish the job of whoever did a poor one. "Thank you…at least I will pass speaking my own language…" she whispered opening her eyes. "Please save my baby…" She begs trying to hold on his hand.**

"**Where is the child?" Benji asked, at the very least he would make sure that it was alive and well before leaving insuring that the child would survive until the police arrive. "Still in me…" she whispered in pain. "I was not due until few more days…but I won't life thorough the night…please save my baby…" Benji looks at her stomach and sees that she is indeed pregnant and for the size she was right and she was due for pretty soon.**

"**You understand that I am an assassin and that I have no idea of how to give birth, do you?" Benji asked to her, wondering if he should take the chances of calling the police to give the unborn baby a chance of living. "…I know…I also know that I won't live much longer…" she answered faintly. "If you cut me and take my baby…my baby will have more chances…to live…I am already dead…"**

**Benji exams the woman, she has a deep stab wound on her right breast, it was fatal but it would take time to kill her. "I will do my best but I won't promise that I will succeed." Benji tells to her while moving her to a more comfortable position. "If she has a chance to live…I am happy…" she replied while Benji rested her head in a pillow. "I will get some warm water and clean clothes. Hang in there." Benji said and she nodded saving her strength.**

**Benji returns few minutes later with a pan filled with hot water, few table dresses and a bottle of brandy. "Drink this." Benji said gently placing the neck of the bottle against her lips. "The liquor will numb the pain and make this easier." She nods and drinks slowly, after two minutes she had drunk half of the bottle. Benji draws a long knife from hit belt, covered by his jacket, he washes the blade with the liquor.**

"**That brandy is over one hundred years old…" she said in a tired but amused tone. "It costed over…fife hundred dollars…and you are using it to wash a knife and to…as an anesthetic to a dying pregnant woman…so many would want to kill you for wasting it like that…"**

"**Depends of what you call waste." Benji replied while cutting her blood soaked party gown. "I am not much of a fan of alcoholic beverages, so using one in an attempt of saving a child life isn't a waste in my book. Besides what is the fun in getting drunk and doing stupid things?" She chuckled amused with his words; Benji noticed that she isn't feeling pain since with a wound like hers chuckling should hurt.**

**Benji rubs some of the brandy over her stomach cleaning the area, he knows that is futile since the woman is dying and there isn't worries of her getting an infection, but the baby is another story, he has to be careful. "I will begin now." Benji said, she nodded acknowledging his words.**

**Benji finds that he was wrong, she wasn't fully sedated, she groans and holds back screams of pain when Benji gave the first cut on her stomach, yet she forces herself to not squirm or trying to escape from the blade risking her child. Benji gives to her one of the clean table dresses and she bites it to control the pain. "I passed thorough the muscles of your abdomen now." Benji tells her. "Now I have to be extra careful because I am close."**

**She nodded thru the pain acknowledging his words. With a careful cut Benji opens the uterus causing the amniotic fluid to spills out with the cut, after cutting a large opening Benji carefully removed the child from the uterus. Using three strands of ripped cloth Benji ties tightly the umbilical cord and cuts it with the knife and finally he gives a slap on the child's behind making her cry, not to mention breath. Moving quickly Benji washes the child with the now lukewarm water and wraps the baby with a table dress. "It is a healthy little girl." Benji says to the woman. She smiles and takes the child lovingly. Benji carefully covers the woman stomach and lower body, he knows that she won't last long but that is the least that he can do at that moment.**

**Benji washes his hands and the knife, he notices that the woman is feeding the infant with her left breast, both of them know that will be the first and last time that mother and daughter will pass by that.**

"**Thank you…" she whispered gently, while caressing her daughter's few wisps of blonde hair. "Thank you very much…" Benji smiles at her. "You are welcome." He replied standing up to leave. "Don't leave yet…" she asks to him. "Why?" Benji asked. "Because I will die…" She answered. "I don't want to be alone with my baby on that moment…"**

"**I am an assassin ma'am I am not a proper company." Benji replied. "You aided me and gave life to my child…I can't think in a better company for this moment." She said with a faint smile. "And I don't want a total stranger raising my baby…" "I am a total stranger." Benji commented. "Not anymore…" she replied. "I know that I am asking too much again…but please raise my child…"**

"**What?!" Benji exclaims surprised. The woman chuckles lightly. "You are a really funny assassin…" she commented. "But I am a terrible mother…I am begging to an assassin to raise my only child…I know that I am imposing but she doesn't have anyone on this land…and my relatives will mistreat or try to kill her…I am a stupid woman…begging to an assassin to protect the life of my child…" she said chuckling bitterly.**

"**How many people you killed?" she asks him. "Until now?" Benji replied she nodded confirming. "I was supposed to kill that man over there." He said pointing to one of the dead Japanese men. "But someone came first, so until this moment I only have caused your death." She looks at him surprised. "I thought that you was more experienced…I guess that I am not all that stupid after all…I am begging to an assassin who never killed before to guard the life of my baby…" she said with a small smile. "And you haven't caused my death…you gave my daughter a chance to live…"**

**Benji stays in silence, she is right after all. "I will give you a little more trouble…" she tells him. "Moving from this room from that door over there, walking to the main hall…walking up the stairs…move to the right…the last room in the hall to your left you will find the room where…I was staying with my husband…"**

"**Why you want me to go there?" Benji asks her. "…In there over the dresser…there is a jewel box…I want you to take it…in the second drawer of that dresser…you will find a…violin box…inside it there is a large amount of money…please take everything…" She answered. "…take the money and jewels…use it in anyway that you see fit…"**

**Benji nodded. "I will go get it." he tells her, she nods and watches him leaving, gently caressing the newborn hair, and humming a lullaby. Five minutes later Benji returns with the mentioned boxes and kneels besides the woman. She smiles at him; she knew that he would return. "Open the jewel box…" She asks him, Benji nods and does so. She moves her hand in the large, filled jewel box. "…I beg you to keep this one…" she whispers to him holding a thin silver chain with a triangle shaped emerald locket on it, the emerald is from the size of a coin.**

"…**this is the only jewel in that box that I am…attached to…" she whispered to him. "…this is the only one…that I had to work…for it…you can do whatever you want with the others…but I beg you to…give this one to my daughter…" Benji nodded while she places the necklace on his right hand. "I have found a sword in your room." Benji tells her. "It is yours?"**

**She denies weakly. "No…it is yours…" she said to him. "Do whatever you want with her…I advice to keep her…" Benji nodded, the baby pushes against her mother's breast signaling that she is done, the woman gently makes the child burp and sings a lullaby making the newborn sleep. "…if I can burden you…again…what is your name…?" she asked looking at the infant.**

"**You wish to curse me?" Benji asked in a playful tone. "No…" she answered with a smile and a hint of laughter on her voice. "I want to…bless you…" "I am Benji." Benji said. "Benji Himura." She smiles gently caressing the child's cheek. "…it is a beautiful name…" she said with a weak voice. "If I can burden…you…one more…can you name my daughter…before I die…?"**

**Benji nodded. "Rosa." Benji said to the woman. "Rosa Himura." The woman softly kisses the newborn forehead. "It…is a lovely…name…Rosa…" She said with a smile, handing the infant to Benji. "…Thank you…for everything…" "You are welcome." Benji replied taking the child. The woman closes her eyes to never open them anymore. Benji covers the woman with one of the table dresses and using the last one he places the jewel box, violin box and the sword inside it before wrapping the fabric around it and tying it on a strong parcel and tying across his chest with the cargo on his back.**

**He leaves the room never looking back to the woman that had given her child to an assassin that had entered in the mansion with the intent of killing her husband. As quietly as he entered Benji leaves the mansion with Rosa on his arms. Benji sees the position of the moon and is impressed with the time that he had expended with the dying woman, more than four hours had passed while he was with her on her last moments.**

Kyoto December tenth 1925; 7:03 AM

Benji wakes with the soft cry of a child. He sits on the bed and sees Rosa on the bed sited there. She has long blonde hair reaching to her waist, big green eyes and white skin, she is wearing light blue pajamas, and she is sited on the bed leaning on the small wood fence that surrounds the bed preventing her from falling out of the bed on her sleep, which also prevents her from leaving the bed.

"You need anything?" Benji asks to the child. "I am thirsty!" she answered Benji stands up and moves to the bed. "Come on." Benji said leaning to pick her up, Rosa stand her little arms and wraps them around his neck allowing him to pick her up. "Good morning Daddy." She said in a happy tone rubbing her cheek against his. "Good morning sweetie." Benji replied moving to the small kitchen of the apartment.

He picks a pitcher filled with water and fills one glass and gently gives the glass to the child. "Thank you!" she exclaimed carefully taking it and drink until her thirst is quenched. "Done." She said handing the glass to him. Benji takes the glasses and refills it and drinks. "You want to take a bath first or have breakfast?" Benji asks to the young girl. "Bath!" she exclaimed happily, Benji chuckles and moves to the bathroom. "Go pick up some clean clothes for you." He says putting her down. "I will get the bathing goods." "Hai!" she exclaimed running to the dresses and opening her drawer.

Benji smiles at the child while she selects one of her many dresses to wear. 'It has been a really long time that I had a dream about that incident. I wonder if something will happen.' He thinks taking the needed items to take a bath from a high shelf far from Rosa's reach. Benji takes some changes to a clean set of clothes and places the bathing goods in a small bag.

"I am ready!" Rosa chirps handing to Benji her clothes. "Okay then let's go." He replied taking her clothes and placing on the bag along with the bathing goods. They move to the entry, Rosa carefully puts on a pair of sandals while Benji slips in his shoes. Rosa stands her right hand to Benji; he takes it and opens the door. They leave the apartment and lock it behind them.

They move to a bathing house, Rosa is humming a song while they walk; they trade greetings with some of the neighbors. In the bathing house Benji pays the fee for an adult and a child and enter on the house, they change, placing their clothes in a basket. Benji wraps a towel around his waist; Rosa only grabs one of the towels while moving to the bathing area.

"Hi Himura-san!" Many attractive women exclaim when Benji walks on the bathing area. "Good morning ladies." Benji replied to them, after years getting used to the idea of collective mixed baths Benji finally adjusted himself to it. "Good morning Rosa-chan!" they say to the child, Benji and Rosa always frequent that bathing house and know everyone that also frequent it. Benji knows that all the women there are women from the pleasure district, but he doesn't care. They are making their living doing what they can, as he does.

The women there as usual are all over the child and Rosa loves the attention from them. All the women there keep a respectable distance from Benji, the only man that treats them politely, respect and with courtesy knowing that all of them are prostitutes, geishas or hostesses. The younger girls of the group play with Rosa in the tub forgetting their works and status.

Benji soaks on the tub chatting with few of them, it is part of their daily routine, Benji doesn't think of himself different from them, as those women he rents his services for the one who pays more, the only difference is that unlike him who take lives and creates sadness they comfort people, that only difference makes Benji treat them with respect, he knows that almost all of them are forced to work by one reason or other and just few of them are in that life because they want to.

After bathing Benji and Rosa leave the bathing house, the child is with a smile holding on Benji's hand, feeling happy and content, having played a lot while bathing. They move to the apartment where Benji fixes the breakfast and takes Rosa to her school. "You work hard and behave." Benji tells to Rosa by the door of the school. "Hai!" she replied. "I will be waiting you, if I am late stay here." Benji says to her. "Don't go home by yourself or with someone else, especially a stranger." "Hai." Rosa said nodding. "Good girl." Benji said kissing Rosa's forehead. "Now get inside." She chuckles and run inside the school.

December tenth 4:29 PM

"Daddy you are late!" Rosa exclaims pouting, when Benji walk thru the school patio. "I am sorry, Takuya got late on his break and I had to cover for him." Benji said with a sheepish smile. "Why you are with a cut in your lips?" Benji asked now in a serious tone. "She got in a fight with few of the older students." A woman replied for the child. "Kurosaki-sensei!" Rosa exclaimed. "I wanted to tell him that!" Benji chuckles with Rosa's reaction. "Now if you don't mind Himura-san let's go to the teachers lounge." She tells to Benji. Benji nods walks inside the school with Rosa holding on his hand.

Kurosaki offers to Benji a cup of tea and pours one for herself. She has long black hair, hazel eyes, white skin and is wearing a light red kimono, with a brown sash and a white apron over it. "As I said on the entrance your daughter got in a fight with five students of higher grade." She said placing the teapot on her desk. "And as you can see she gained that small cut on her lips."

"I am guessing that the other students got the worse end of the deal, right?" Benji asked sipping the tea, after years in Japan he still doesn't got used to the heat and bitterness of the Japanese green tea. "You guessed right Himura-san." Kurosaki answered with a small frown recalling the fight. "What can I do my little rose has her thorns?" Benji asked giving to Rosa his tea since she is holding his hand and drinking it. Rosa blushes content with his words.

"That you gave her." Kurosaki replied. "She told me on the first time that she got in a fight that you are teaching her martial arts." Benji nodded confirming. "Of course I am." Benji replied. "And why you are teaching her?" she asked. "You know why those students pick on her?" Benji replied. "It is because her hair and occidental features."

"I know that. But why you know? This is the first time that I called you to talk about it" Kurosaki asked. "Because Rosa tells me every time that she gets in a fight." Benji answered ruffling Rosa's hair. "I am teaching her how to fight because I know that the other kids will pick on her because she is different. I am giving her means to defend herself."

"By telling her to kick the boys on the groin every time that they are going to start a fight?" Kurosaki asked. "Yes, it is a way to certain take out a boy from fighting with out hurting him badly. Rosa isn't strong as a boy so I have to give her ways to overcome that." Benji explained.

Kurosaki sighs. "I know all that but she can't keep hitting them there every time that she gets in a fight with them and if they get sterile?" she asked. "It is not my problem, they are starting the fight and we both know that they would do something that would scar her for life. If those boys were smart they would stop fighting her because she will always win." Benji answered. "You are making this hard on me Himura-san. I understand your reasons and that you want to keep Rosa-chan safe, but the school is getting many complains from the parents of the children that she beats defending herself and they get very angry when they find that is a girl that did the damage on their sons." She said to him.

"As I said Kurosaki-sensei, I won't tell to my daughter to just take the hits of a bunch of stupid boys because they don't like her eye and hair color." Benji replied. "I fully back up her standing up for herself and I advise you to tell to the parents and the kids that I will continue to teach her and continue to tell her to defend herself if needed and teach where to hit to hurt."

Kurosaki sighs again; she knows that Benji is right. "I will talk to them." she said. "But they won't like." "Not more that I like to know that my daughter is being forced to fight in your school because some students bully on her." Benji replied Kurosaki nods and sees the Himuras out. "How many this time?" Benji asked to Rosa while they walk away from the school. "Six." Rosa answered with a small smile. "You did really well." Benji replied. Rosa beams up with his words.

Sometime later they are in the back of a café. "Ai mind in giving me a small glass of sake?" Benji asked to a young woman wearing a waitress uniform. "Drinking this time of the day Benji?" she asked back to him. "No, it is for Rosa." Benji answered. "Letting her drink so young Benji?" she asked filling a small glass with sake. "It is to clean a small cut." Benji replied taking the glass from the woman. "I know." She said with a teasingly smile. "Anyway you still have ten minutes of your break."

Benji nodded. Rosa moves to Benji and sits on his lap already knowing what to do. "Aaaahhh…" Rosa said while opening her mouth, Benji carefully looks inside her mouth for any cut or other wound. "Well there is a small cut." He said dipping his index finger on the sake. "I will clean it a little and you will avoid spice and hot foods." Rosa nods and Benji softly passes his sake coated finger over the cut. "Oowww…" she whimpered feeling the alcohol stinging on her cut. "Come on you are tougher than that." Benji said now passing some sake on the cut on the corner of her lips. "When fighting." She replied. "I don't have to be tough with you Daddy."

Benji smiles and finishes giving the small treatment on her. "Okay, I am done." He said picking the glass of sake and drinking it. "You stay here and work in your homework while I work." "Hai!" Rosa exclaimed jumping out from his lap, Benji moved to the café where as usual there are many clients waiting.

Few hours later Benji and Rosa leave after the working hours, Rosa is once again humming while they move to the bathing house. Because of the hour it is quite empty and Rosa is a bit quieter. After bathing they return to their house, Rosa picks one of her father's books and reads on her bed. Benji cleans the small apartment while Rosa entertains herself with one of his romances. When done with the cleaning Benji moves to the bed. "Want me to read for you sweetie?" he asks her. "Yes!" Rosa exclaimed giving space to Benji sit on the bed; Benji sits besides Rosa and takes the book from her.

End of the chapter one:

Author notes:

Okay let me explain a little about this new story, to begin the explanation this story isn't all that new, I began writing it handful of months to be more precise sometime before past August so there might be some changes in my writing style that might not be present on the early chapters of this story. I did scanned the story for them but I can't be one hundred percent sure that I got them all but I cleared most of them.

Now to a more in depth explanations:

Rosa Himura is one of my original characters; she is a character that appears in some of my stories, if anyone reading this story also read Outcast Chronicles of a Lost Writer in Ranma's World will see that she also appears there.

Actually she also appears in many other stories, she is one of my basic characters when it comes to daughters for Benji in my stories, Rosa means rose in Portuguese, I like this name so I use it quite often. Her basic concept is mostly the same in all my stories, she is a very smart girl showing an intelligence above her age, she is blonde and is a daddy's little girl.

However Rosa in this story is a different Rosa from Outcast in Ranma's world, just the name and basic character design is the same; to anyone curious the Rosa in this fic appeared first than the Rosa in Outcast so that Rosa is based on this one.

Benji Himura he is my original self insert character; he appears in all my stories, in most of them every Benji is different from the other of course disregarding sequels on one story; other than the stories of the Outcast saga were the Benji that starts the story is the same in every story, they change to 'different' Benjis as the story develops they are still the same man but with different experiences; the Benjis in all Outcast stories are based on me.

This is all that I will be explaining for the moment, I hope that everyone is enjoying the story I hope in seeing you all in the next chapter, please read and review your support is important.


	2. Carriage

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. Some anime or manga characters might show up in the story I also don't own then. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter two: Carriage

Kyoto December twelfth 1925; 11:33 PM

Benji is finishing cleaning the table from the café, it is pass the closing hours and because two of the other waiters and waitresses called sick Benji had to cover for them thorough the night. "I am so sorry Benji." Ai says to the tall brunette. "Rosa-chan even fell in sleep while waiting because I had you stay working so late."

Benji smiles placing a tray full of dirty plates, cups and glasses in the bar counter. "It is okay, you let me get out of work way earlier than the others every day, I guess that once and a while I can cover up like this." Benji replied. "Besides you always give some food for me and Rosa so usually we don't have to worry about fixing dinner back home."

"It is the least that I can do. I really think that food shouldn't be wasted it should be eaten, and the pans leftovers of the day is enough to everyone here have a nice meal." Ai replied. "Rosa-chan is very cute and everyone loves her, not to mention that she always helps around in busy days taking out orders or even helping on the register machine, it is a pleasure having her around, especially when she wears that cute uniform that I made for her."

Benji sighs inwardly but smile, Ai had a thing for cute things and he wouldn't deny that Rosa was cute. Ai had made a light blue waitress uniform with a white apron for Rosa and every time that Rosa would help around the café she dressed it up, making all the female employees and clients wonder over her cuteness, in the end Rosa gained a lot of tips from the clients.

After cleaning up Benji changes to his normal clothes and picks the sleeping Rosa on his arms. Rosa snuggles against Benji, clutching on his shirt with her small hands, Benji covers Rosa from the cold with his coat. He passes in a post office and checks on a mail box, he finds a small letter inside and leaves taking the letter. He moves to the apartment and places Rosa on her bed.

He rummages thorough her drawers and fishes one pajama for her. Benji changes her to her pajamas and covers her. He moves to the living room where he proceeds to read the letter. Benji sighs and moves to the bedroom where he gets his pistol and knife, he changes to a set of black clothes and leaves quietly after giving a goodnight kiss to Rosa.

Benji moved to the meeting spot and hides in the darkness of a roof waiting for the contact. 'After so long I still do this…I wonder for how much longer I will stay on this life…' he thinks looking at the empty streets.

**On the morning after Rosa's birth Benji is inside the room of the church where he requested shelter, he couldn't just wander on the cold night with a newborn child. Benji is quite thankful that the church's nuns are helping him with Rosa, his knowledge of taking care of a infant are a bit limited and the nuns even gave for Rosa some donated baby clothes.**

**Benji is making sure to learn everything from those helpful nuns, he even left a quite sizable donation for the church, currently Rosa is sleeping in a crib on the room near of his bed. Benji is thinking about how handle his chosen profession with the burden of a newborn child. He can't just leave her to adoption, Rosa's mother was quite firm in having him raising Rosa and he had agreed on doing so.**

**Benji sighs wondering what to do. Rosa's mother made clear on her dying wishes that he should raise Rosa as he saw fit and to raise her he would need to make sure that she lives, but he also have to fulfill the unspoken agreement between him and Rosa's mother, he was going after whoever hired the hit and kill the client and the assassin, as Rosa's new father he had to do so.**

'**Where I have heard of an assassin with a baby?' Benji thinks looking at Rosa sleeping peacefully on her crib. 'I know for sure that I have heard something about it.' Most of the morning passes with Benji thinking about it, absent minded he takes care of Rosa with the nuns. He leaves and finds a newspaper speaking about the murders on the previous night and buy two of them, even thought he can't read them later he would find out what it said.**

**Walking on the streets Benji sees a couple walking thorough the streets pushing a baby carriage with a young child inside. "That is it!" Benji shouts finally seeing the light of his question, as well startling everyone around. Benji apologizes for the couple for waking the baby and explains that he also had a child and needed a way to carry her around, they smile understanding knowing how hard is for a first time father to think straight.**

**Benji runs back to the church and talks to one of the nuns. "Sister Isabel do you mind in doing me a favor?" Benji asks to the young nun. "Of course." She replied with a gentle smile. "I don't speak Japanese and I wanted to buy few things you mind in escorting me thorough the shops while I pick what I need?" Benji explained to the nun. "I don't mind at all." She answered. "It is a pleasure to help."**

**They leave the church after Benji takes a look on Rosa who is about to take a bath with some of the nuns. "What you need to purchase?" Isabel asked to Benji. "Some tools, metal plates, bolts, a baby carriage, paint, brushes, paper and pencils, not to mention some clothes for Rosa." Benji answered. "I understood the carriage, paper and pencils and the clothes, but why everything else?" she asked. "Make some changes on the carriage." Benji answered with a smile. "To make sure that will fit mine and Rosa's needs." "You are so thoughtful Benji-san." Isabel said. "You for sure will be a great father."**

**One hour later they return to the convent, the nuns are gladly taking care of Rosa while Benji works on the carriage. "Father." Benji said in a polite tone seeing the church's priest walk to him. The priest gives a polite nod. "I see that you are working in something for your child." He said looking at the now dismantled carriage. "Just making sure that this carriage will be comfortable for Rosa." Benji answered. "And that it will fit our needs."**

**The priest gives an approving nod. "Sister Isabel mentioned that to me." He said to Benji. "But I want to know if you are planning to baptize Rosa and raise her as a catholic child, I know that you are catholic, after all in Brazil and Portugal everyone is catholic." Benji gives a small smile. "That noticeable?" he asked.**

"**Your English has a Latin accent and I heard you lulling Rosa with lullabies in Portuguese. It wasn't hard to make the add, I am sure that you know that mostly everyone on this church is from Portugal." The priest answered. "Of course we are here for years now and we speak Japanese fluently."**

**Benji nods understanding, he does know that the first Catholics of Japan where from Portugal. "I still haven't decided Father." Benji answered to the priest. "Rosa was a surprise in my life and I still haven't adjusted to the fact that I have a daughter so I still haven't thought in long term yet." "It is understandable. Fatherhood is something very serious and the child education and religion are very important." The priest replied. "You should think in granting your child a place in heaven."**

**Benji smiles hearing the priest speaking about the importance of religion. After ten long minutes the priest leaves and Benji sighs relieved he was tired of the long sermon, he had decided to allow Rosa to chose her own religion when she was old enough to understand it. He moves back to the carriage and begins to make the alterations that he wants on the small vehicle.**

**Two days later Benji is done with the baby carriage, instead of having a large opening on under the crib it is now covered with metal plates, the crib itself is made of metal covered with cushioned cotton with a small but thick mattress inside it, on the rim of the crib there are black lacquered metal poles, on the sides of the crib connecting to the frame and wheels of the carriage there are two more poles for each wheel, the pushing handle is also made of three lacquered metal beams, two connecting to the crib and a horizontal one covered with black strings where the carriage can be pushed.**

**Benji pulls a folding roof for the crib and checks with a smile that working smoothly as it should be, the lacquered plates cover the sides of the carriage allowing him to carry things hidden under the crib on the carriage frame, the crib was also well bolted to the frame to make sure that won't fall. Rosa is now trying the crib, actually sleeping soundly inside the carriage while Benji moves thorough the living quarters of the church, the wheels doesn't make a sound with the new and well greases ball bearings.**

**Benji made sure to add a good break system to make sure that the carriage won't move unless he wants to. "Benji-san what an amazing work." Isabel said seeing Benji strolling with the sleeping infant on the carriage. "Thank you sister." Benji replied. "I just did few alterings here and there." "Rosa-chan looks to comfortable and pleased." She added with a smile seeing how well Rosa is sleeping. "For sure she knows that this carriage is filled with her father's love."**

**Benji smiled not wanting to tell the real reasons of the changes on the carriage to the nun. "Should we begin those Japanese lessons now?" She asked to the taller man. "Sure." Benji answered. "I for sure need them." They move to the library where she begins her lecture.**

Benji shakes his head to clear his thoughts. 'I shouldn't let my mind wander like that when I am staking out a client.' Benji thinks looking at the streets. He sees a rather slim and malicious man moving to the alley and doing the signal of meeting. Benji puts on his mask and jumps behind the man. "What you want?" he asked to the man. The man leaps away scared and falls on his ass.

Benji likes of doing that because it helps his reputation. "I want to hire you." the man answered in a scared tone. "Tell me about the work and the target." Benji said and the man nod and hands to Benji a picture. "That person is the target. My employer will pay a large sum of money if you accept this job and take care of the target." The man said to Benji.

Benji punches the man hard knocking him out. He grabs the man and enters in a sewer access dragging the man with him. After walking for a while Benji ties the man into an iron stairs and wakes him up. "What you are doing?" the man asked to Benji. "You should worry about what I am going to do." Benji said to the man.

The man froze in fear seeing the long knife on Benji's hands. "I want to know everything about this attempt even how many assassins was contacted other than me." Benji said skillfully cutting the man's black pants. "I am sure that you know what I will begin cutting if you don't." Benji added pressing the side of the tip of the knife against the man's privates. As Benji guessed the man spilled everything, he was the usual sleaze coward that is too ambitious, just a bit of a threatening was enough.

Benji gags the man and leaves the sewers with the needed information about the assassination attempt. "I should start a family plan and charge for it." he mutters walking on the empty streets now with out his mask. "It is the second one of that family that I have to protect in five years."

Benji arrives in his apartment and sees that Rosa is sleeping. 'I guess that there isn't much to do other than take out the assassins.' He thinks moving to the nightstand and moving it to the size, behind it there is a safe. Benji opens the safe and removes another pistol from there, he also removes a small rifle stock, and he places them over the bed while he pulls from the safe an ammunition box.

"What you are doing Daddy?" Rosa asked sitting on her bed rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Nothing sweetie, go back to sleep." Benji replied looking at Rosa, he was removing the items from the safe in nearly absolute silence. "Why you are taking out the guns from the safe?" she asked now looking very awake. "You got a work where I can help?" She exclaimed seeing the rifle stock on the bed.

Benji sighs and wonder if was wise expose Rosa to his life as an assassin since she was a baby, she for sure believes that being an assassin is a normal job. "Tell me!" Rosa exclaimed jumping on the bed. Seeing his now hyperactive daughter Benji moves to her bed and picks her up. "Don't jump on the bed." Benji scolds her in a serious tone. Rosa pouts cutely. "Sorry." She said. "But I want to help you Daddy."

Benji sits on his bed with Rosa on his lap. "Rosa you know that I don't like to get you on the middle of this work. You know that isn't proper to young ladies." Benji said in a gentle but serious tone. "I don't care!" she replied shaking her head. "I want to help you Daddy!" Benji sighs, he knows that he got something wrong when raising her and he is quite sure that was working as an assassin with her around, she got so used to blood, weapons and corpses that she doesn't care about it. Rosa fishes the rifle stock and removes the rubber butt and pulls from the hollow space of the stock the other parts of the small caliber rifle and begins to assemble it with practiced ease. 'Now I am sure, I shouldn't have taught her how to shoot with that .22 rifle not to mention letting her help me when younger. We don't live on the middle in 1600.'

"Rosa you can assemble it on the morning." Benji says to the blonde child while she screws the barrel on the gun. "I am not sleepy anymore." Rosa chirps content in being with her older and by far most favorite toy back on her hands. 'Now I know that I really screwed up. I got a little gun nut in my arms.' Benji thinks seeing that now Rosa is humming while cleaning the rifle with ease even in the dark room.

Benji turns on the light of the room and Rosa wince with the light. It takes a while for her get used to the light, but as soon she is used the returns to her cleaning. Benji sits Rosa on the bed and moves to the pistol that he took from the safe. "Since I can tell that I won't be able to take that idea of helping me out of your little head we will practice a little tomorrow." Benji said picking another cleaning kit. "Yay!" Rosa exclaimed happily. Benji sighs and cleans the black pistol. "But as soon you finish cleaning your rifle you are going back to the bed." He added. "Not fair! I am not sleepy!" she protested. "It is way pass your bedtime hour." Benji replied, Rosa pouts but knows that is useless to protest, she also knows when she won't be able to convince her father.

Around Kyoto December thirteenth 1925; 8:11 AM

Benji and Rosa are in a large clearing in the woods that surrounds Kyoto. Rosa is standing with her .22 rifle assembled aiming thorough a small scope, Benji is with a larger rifle scope looking at the targets that are placed at one hundred and fifty meters away from them nailed into tree trunks. Benji sees Rosa hitting the center of each target with five shots each before moving to the next one and repeating until her rifle magazine is empty.

Ten series later Rosa ejects the empty magazine and looks up at Benji. "You were great." Benji says ruffling the young girl's hair. Rosa glows with delight and sits on a stone knowing that now is her father's turn. Benji hands the scope that he was using to Rosa and as Benji did Rosa uses the scope and watches the target. Benji pulls the black pistol that he removed from the safe; he holds it only with his right hand and aims at one target and fires.

Rosa cringes with the loud shots that her father's pistol fired, when compared to Benji's pistol the shots of Rosa's rifle were just small pops. Benji sees that all the six shots of his two bursts had hitted the center of the target, Rosa rubs her ears feeling them ringing even thought she is with earplugs.

Benji changes for his daily pistol and once again aims at the target and fires. Unlike the other this one isn't as powerful yet hit the target with the short burst, squeezing the trigger more it changes to full auto and the bullets begin to hit a much larger area of the target, some even miss the target. Benji removes the empty magazine and reloads both guns. "Okay sweetie I think that we practiced enough. You are still very sharp." Benji says to Rosa.

She pouts a little wanting to shoot some more, but she nods understanding and begins to disassemble the rifle and storing the parts on the stock before hiding the stock under her coat. Benji grabs all the expended cases and they move to the targets to remove the projectiles from them.

Kyoto December thirteenth 1925; 9:32 AM

Benji and Rosa are walking the location where the assassination attempt will take place, Benji is carefully examining the area finding the best spots to attack the target, positions where snipers would be and others locations where the assassins will try to use when trying to take down the target. "Let's go home." Benji said after checking out all possible locations. "Hai." Rosa replied taking his hand. They move thru the streets and they check for escape routes and dead ends.

Kyoto December thirteenth 1925; 12:45 PM

Benji and Rosa are in the café where Benji works, Rosa is eating her lunch quietly on the staff room, Benji is helping out on the lunch rush. After the lunch Benji and two more waiters are cleaning up the empty tables while some clients have their desserts or coffees. Ai calls Benji and tells that a woman requested him. Benji moves to the table and sees the familiar face of one of his contacts.

"Have been a while Maiko." Benji says to a brown haired woman wearing a black suit. "Well what can I do if you don't call me all that often." She replied. Benji sits facing her. "I brought what you asked for." She said placing a small box covered with brown wrapping paper over the table. "Twenty five rounds as requested, the custom design .450 Dragon's fangs."

Benji places an envelope over the table and takes the box. "Half of them have two cores the usual mix, a frontal steel core, a rear aluminium core with a steel jacket covering it all." Maiko added. "The other half is the piercing explosive kind, steel front core with a lead rear core filled with stabilized nitroglycerine and as you know they only explode after heated by the burn of the propellant and the frontal impact of the steel core on the detonator over the explosive."

"Good." Benji replied pocketing the box. "Once again I advise to not over use them, your gun isn't made for intense use of that bullet, even thought it uses overpressure .45 ACP rounds." Maiko said. "I know that already Maiko. My gun can only fire one of them and it takes time to remove the expend cartridge from the barrel." Benji answered. "The Fangs are my last resort for extreme ranges." Maiko nods and leaves. Benji moves to the staff room where he places the box with his clothes.

"Daddy when it will happen?" Rosa asks to Benji while he is storing the ammo on his coat pocket. "In two days, tomorrow you will be going to school as in any other day." Benji answered. "And the rifle will stay home." Rosa nodded not happy in going to school and leaving her rifle behind.

Kyoto December fifteenth 1925; 7:45 AM

Rosa is having breakfast on the living room table seeing her father wearing a pair of white t-shirts and black trousers while adjusting a sturdy, not to mention heavy plate mail, changing the plates and tightening the screws that join the plates together. Rosa is slightly tense, it isn't the first time that she was getting ready to help her father in one of his jobs, she was doing that as long she can remember and was as natural to her as it was using martial arts.

Rosa once asked why she was so used to it and Benji answered because she had always watched him and imitated him, she knew that was the truth, as far she could remember she wanted to be like him, that is why she would do mostly anything that he said her to do and learn anything that he wanted her to learn.

Even just with four years old Rosa knew how to speak fluently three languages including Japanese, she was learning how to sing and play instruments with the women of the pleasure district that were more than willing to teach Rosa, she also knows how to apply make up with expertise of a professional, style her hair in complex styles and how to behave in any kind of parties.

Benji was the first to admit that Rosa was a genius child when she began to speak when she was six months old and from then she only began to show how smart she was, with one year she was able to activate the hidden blades of her carriage, the weapons that Benji used on his advantage when killing his target, not to mentioning a set of machine guns hid under the bullet proof carriage.

Benji removes the right side of the armor plate giving him a opening to slid in the armor, after getting in the now loose armor Benji places the ten centimeters wide plate back on the armor and forces the metal until he hears few loud clicks signaling that the plates had clipped together in one sturdy armor. Benji takes a deep breath filling his lungs with air and seeing that as it was the armor have enough room for breathing and wasn't loose on his body, the internal padding made up for that.

Rosa watches while Benji covers the black armor with two more t-shirts, now black ones, one of them with long sleeves and then covers them with a black button down shirt and puts on a pair of thin silk gloves. Benji rolls up the long sleeves of the button down shirt and puts on a pair of black metal armlets with metal gloves, not as loose as gauntlets but similar, in both hands of the armor the thumb and the index fingers were missing so he could use firearms.

Benji puts on a pair of black gloves over the gauntlets and rolls down the shirt sleeves and buttons them over the armlets fully covering them with cloth. "Daddy I am done." Rosa said to Benji resting her fork on her now empty dish. "Okay sweetie come here and let me get you ready." Benji replied. Rosa nods leaving the chair and walking to her father.

Rosa knows that she is too weak to get the kind of heavy protection that her father can use; the armor plate alone weights two times more than she does. Rosa takes out her dress staying only with a white slip. Benji puts a small t-shirt on Rosa and helps her to put on a pair of trousers, fastening a belt on her waist. Benji straps on Rosa's inner left thigh a holster for her unassembled rifle and on the right thigh a holster with two extra magazines.

Rosa puts her dress again and Benji gives to her a light padded jacket. Both of them know that for Rosa the important above anything is mobility so she can hide easily. Benji puts on another belt around Rosa's waist and in there has a slim sheath with a small automatic stiletto. Benji ties a black ribbon on Rosa's hair tying in with a simple bow.

"Take your dish to the kitchen and leave it in the sink, when we get back you wash it." Benji tells to Rosa while placing a pair of gloves on her jacket pockets. Rosa nods and moves to the table. Benji picks a shoulder holster and puts on with both of his pistols there; he puts on a belt with the magazines on the back and covers it with his jacket. He picks four Dragon's fangs bullets and puts on his right side trouser pocket, he places a pair of knifes on the belt over the magazines and puts on his long coat. "Ready sweetie?" Benji asks picking up the sword that he took when Rosa was born. "I am ready!" she exclaimed putting on her tiny shoes, Benji moves to the entry and slips in his own shoes, he takes Rosa's hand when she is done and they leave the apartment locking it behind them.

End of the chapter two:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that have read and reviewed and to everyone that is reading this story.

Author notes:

To anyone with certain knowledge in manga history the concept of an assassin with his child shouldn't be all the strange. So as you should know I don't own the original concept of the battle carriage, please do not announce from where it came from. It will spoil the events in the following chapters.

The .22 rifle as anyone with knowledge in guns or a wikipedia access must know that design isn't mine either. However an explanation for that gun will be revealed in the future chapters, the same with Benji's own guns.

And please to anyone who didn't like in seeing Rosa handling a gun, save any kind of flames and negative opinions for yourself; Rosa is a fictitious character and knows very well the dangers and how to proper handle a firearm. Even young Rosa is well trained in the way of assassin.


	3. Assassin’s lullaby

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. Some anime or manga characters might show up in the story I also don't own then. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter three: Assassin's lullaby

Kyoto December fifteenth 1925; 8:05 AM

Benji and Rosa move to the street where the assassination will take place. Rosa is holding to Benji's left hand tightly, she wouldn't admit but she was very nervous, she knows that they aren't going there to kill the target they will be doing the exact opposite and will try to prevent the assassination.

**One day earlier**

"**Daddy who you will be taking care of now?" Rosa asked to Benji. "Sweetie this time we won't be killing a bad guy." Benji replied in a gentle tone. "This time we will be protecting the target from the assassination." "Why?" Rosa asked with her big and curious eyes on her father. "Because the target isn't a bad person." Benji answered. "She is a good person and we have to protect her. Here sweetie this is the picture of the person that we have to protect."**

**Rosa takes the picture from her father. "Who is this woman?" Rosa asked looking at the picture of a brown haired young woman with shoulder long hair that is wearing an army uniform. "Her name is Fujieda Kaede." Benji answered. "She is part of a very important group of people that are defending Teito so we have to make sure that she isn't killed."**

**Rosa nods understanding. "As soon everything begins I want you to grab that woman's hand and take her quickly to the closer police station, can you do that sweetie?" Benji asked to Rosa. "Hai!" Rosa answered with a smile. "Good, in the police station she will be safe, after she is there you run to Ai's café okay?" Benji continued. Rosa nods not content with her role on the events, she knows that he is giving her that job so she will be safe.**

Rosa let out a small sigh recalling her conversation with her father on the previous day, her role was minimal, just take the target to a safe location as soon the attempt begins, she knows that she can't do much when the fight begins because of her age and lack of strength, even her rifle is mostly powerless unable to kill unless she is very lucky, in the best case she might only give small injuries to someone slowing that person down so she can run.

Benji gives a reassuring squeeze on Rosa's hand. "You might not believe now but your role on this is much more important than mine." Benji says to Rosa in English. "You will be leading Kaede to the safety and that is the objective here, keeping her safe and alive." "Hai!" Rosa exclaims feeling better, Benji smiles with the ease that he got Rosa to smile content with her role and he knows that soon she won't be as easily satisfied as she is.

**Three days had passed since the conclusion of Rosa's baby carriage alterations was completed. "Sister Isabel mind in reading something for me?" Benji asks to the nun while he walks to her. "I don't mind at all." She replied with a warm smile. "What is it?" "Well I bought this newspaper a while ago, I know that isn't actual anymore but I wanted to know what is on the headline." Benji answered.**

**Isabel nodded and takes the newspaper from him. "Oh this is so horrible…" she said paling up considerably. "What is wrong sister?" Benji asked already with an idea of what was wrong. "This newspaper is telling about a slaughter of an entire family in their own residence." She answered while sitting in the low rail of the hall with a view to the living quarters' inner garden.**

"**That is indeed horrible." Benji replied sitting next to Isabel. "Here is says that eleven people where murdered, four of them women." She continued. "Three were maids of the family and two butlers of the family; from the remaining six two were women." She takes a deep breath summoning her courage. "One of the females was carrying a child."**

"**That is so horrible." Benji commented. "It is those poor souls." Isabel nods agreeing. "The woman who was pregnant was foreign, she was married to a Japanese man." She added. "What is her name?" Benji asked, that was the sole reason that he was there asking to Isabel to read that newspaper, he needed a name to the face of Rosa's dead mother. "Here says that her name is Alexis." She answered. "And says that against her husband's family wishes he took her family name so it wouldn't be extinguished, her full name is Alexis..."**

**A shrill cry echoes on the halls. "I guess that Rosa is up now." Benji said standing up. "I am sorry that I have made you read those horrible news because my curiosity." Isabel hands the paper to him. "It is okay Benji-san, it was a pleasure to help." She replied. "If you excuse me I will pray for those poor souls." "Lithe a candle for me." He said to her, she nods and walks away.**

'**Alexis…' he thinks a small sad smile while walking to his room where Rosa is waiting. 'I don't know how you lived but I know how you died and I can tell that you were a very strong woman. I hope that I can raise Rosa in a way that you would be proud of her.'**

**Benji enters on his room and finds Rosa in the carriage crib, he looks at her and she stands her little arms to him. "You already figured that you only need to cry once during the day time huh?" Benji asked picking her up, he takes a light sniff on Rosa's diaper. "Since you aren't dirty I take that you are either hungry or thirsty, let's go to the kitchen to find out what is exactly." He said leaving the bedroom.**

**In the kitchen Benji takes a baby bottle and fills with lightly chilled apple juice while holding Rosa only with his left arm. "Here you go sweetie a tasty apple juice filled with iron and good for you." He said holding the bottle rubber tip near of her lips, Rosa holds the bottle and pulls closer hungrily sucking its contents, Benji smiles while humming a song letting Rosa drink until she is content.**

**Later on that day Benji is walking around the city pushing Rosa on her carriage for a needed change of environments and sun bath. Rosa curious with the new sounds looks around the streets. Benji is looking at some shops looking for the final parts for the carriage hidden weapons, actually the weapons since he still need the blades for finishing them.**

**Benji notices a gift shop and enters on it, luckily the owner does speak English and Benji finds that he does have some swords to sell. After half an hour of selecting the swords from the many that the shop had to sell for foreign tourists Benji selected ten of what he felt that were the best of them all, the next twenty minutes Benji expends negotiating the price for the swords, in the end he left with a good deal over the entire selection of swords and even a pair of Yari blades.**

**Benji is now carrying the swords inside a leather bag strapped on his back. Rosa had fallen in sleep while Benji was negotiating the swords, deciding not to stay on the open any longer Benji moves to the general direction of the church, on the way back Benji noticed two figures as himself towering over the others peasants on the streets, one blonde woman and a even taller red head woman, with them a young blonde child.**

**Benji looks at his surrounding and sighs deeply. He moves to a more deserted area of Ginza and he quickly removes one of the swords from the bag and begins to disassemble it. 'I have to hurry!' He thinks while attaching the naked edge in one of the crib's side poles, Benji snaps shut the last pin and folds the blade inside the pole before returning it to the original place.**

'**This will have to do it for now…' He thinks placing the remaining parts of the sword inside the bag and then on the hidden compartment under the crib, from there he pulls a large black pistol, he feeds it with a magazine and places it on the small of his back on his belt. He pulls a small pair of ear plugs and gently and carefully Benji puts them on Rosa.**

**After all those precautions Benji leaves the alley pushing the carriage, now tensely looking around. What he was expecting happens, the young blonde girl makes a many juggling bottles and balls juggle in the air with out using her hands. 'And there they go.' Benji thinks looking at the trio running away. 'Okay then it is confirmed now…'**

**He looks at the sky and sees a kouma flying at their direction. 'So if everything goes as it should be Iris, Maria and Kanna will take care of it by themselves.' He thinks keeping his eyes on the creature. "What?!" Benji shouts seeing the winged kouma dropping a smaller quadruped kouma. 'Is just like the one that will attack Sumire.' He thinks seeing the creature randomly attacking the stores and making the people panicking while the trio is dealing with the winged one.**

'**This shouldn't be happening.' Benji thinks pulling a pair of bandannas from his pockets and tying them covering his hair and the lower half of his face. Benji closes the roof of Rosa's carriage and pulls his pistol. With out a warning but a clear line of fire Benji shoots at the kouma. A full burst spray of bullets hit the kouma that howls in pain, it turns to Benji and charges at the assassin.**

**Benji fires once again, now in full automatic mode. The kouma stutters and get back on its feet and charges at Benji again. Now out of ammo Benji tucks the pistol on his belt ignoring the heat and grabs the pole with the hidden blade. Benji presses a hidden switch making the katana blade snap open thanks to powerful leaf coils and lock on the open position.**

**The kouma leaps at Benji who on his turn slashes hard at the demon direction pouring every drop of his strength on the attack. The kouma flies backwards with the sheer impact of the strike with a very deep and severe cut on its chest. The kouma gets back on its feet and charges once again. "If you bleed you can DIE!!!" Benji shouted while slashing the kouma as it leaped to attack again, this time with a vertical slash cutting it neatly in two halves.**

**Benji smiles under his makeshift mask and with a flick of his wrist he removes the blood from the edge, he folds the blade back to the pole and moves away with Rosa knowing that pretty soon the place will be filled with reporters and unlike Iris he doesn't have powers to ruin the pictures.**

**Half block away Benji removed his bandannas and opens the carriage roof, inside Rosa is very awake and seems to be smiling at him. "Why I have the feeling that you saw me fighting with that demon and you liked it?" Benji asks to the infant, who cooed her reply. Benji sighs looking at her. "I have the feeling that you liked that…" he muttered attaching the pole to the edge of the crib before stashing the gun away, then he moves to the direction of the church already knowing what to expect on the next day's headlines.**

**In the church Benji is back to his room, Rosa is still awake and appears to be excited with the early events. And as he had foreseen in the next morning the three hanagumi members where in all the headlines, Isabel had read the paper for Benji since he had displayed curiosity over the events of the city and for her it was much better than the slaughter of Rosa's family, not that she knew that was Rosa's family.**

**After his five hours long now diary Japanese classes Benji is back to his bedroom, Rosa is napping quietly on her carriage crib wearing her pink blanket sleepers with a light sheet covering her small body. Benji is using the left over black shellac that he used to paint Rosa's carriage to cover the entire dismantled swords taking out the edge itself that Benji avoids painting, the whole idea of using the black shellac on the blades is to make them appear to be part of the carriage poles.**

**Benji sighs resting the brush on the shellac pot. 'Well for sure they never said that was easy to change weapons to act like automatic pocket knifes…' He thinks recalling the trouble that he will have to attach the katana blades on the poles trigger mechanism, not to mention the Yari on the pushing handle, since that one isn't a from the side ejection edge but a from the tip one. It consumed three days to Benji replicate the mechanism using the images from his memory of a pocket knife that he owned when much younger.**

**While he waits to the shellac dry Benji attaches a pair of Yari blades on the pushing handle, one on each tip of it. After they are attached Benji tests the mechanism and finds that is working really well, he places the bar back on the carriage and checks the blades to see if the shellac dried.**

"**Maybe another hour or so." Benji muttered after checking them. Later on that night Benji was busily working on the poles attacking the now black and silver blades on them, Rosa is awake and looking at her father with interest and curious little eyes. Benji makes a mental note of how quiet Rosa is, wondering if she was so smart that she knew when to make noise to call his attention and when to stay in silence. Benji keeps wondering if his newly gained newborn less than two weeks old daughter was some kind of genius.**

Kyoto December fifteenth 1925; 9:22 AM

Benji and Rosa are in a small tea house; Rosa is nervously nibbling a Sakura-Mochi, slowly chewing it and swallowing very small pieces of the sweet. Benji noticed it, he can't do much to sooth her, he is well aware that the worse part of a stake out is the waiting for the hell break loose. "Come here sweetie." Benji says to Rosa that is sited facing him. Rosa nods gathering her tea and the plate with her mochis, out of the three that she ordered she only ate one third of one.

Rosa walks the small distance that separates her from her father, Benji takes the plate with the sweets and place next to him where he still filled cup of tea is resting, he does the same with Rosa's tea. Rosa looks at him not understanding what he is doing. Benji leans forward and holds her small waist and lifts her, sitting Rosa on his lap keeping his left arm wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her half sited, half lying against his arm and chest.

Rosa snuggles against him and relaxes resting her head on Benji's chest, letting out a content sigh. Benji gives to Rosa her half eaten sweet and she begins to eat it with more gusto. "Nee yo ga akeru yo saigo no kotoba o kikoete iru mono nara tsutaetakute…" Benji sings softly to Rosa. "No fair…" Rosa whispered trying to sound annoyed but she is with a small smile tracing her lips.

Benji smiles back knowing why Rosa is protesting, after all that was and still is her favorite lullaby. "Nee nukegara dake no tsumetai hoho ni sotto te o furesasete soba ni isasete…" Benji continued to sing seeing Rosa quickly finishing her Mochi before letting out a small yawn. "I am not sleepy…" She protested balling her tiny fists and rubbing her eyes. "Tsuki no akari dake ga mimamotte ite kureta hazu dakedo ima nani o omoi towa ni nemuru no…" Benji continued to sing before the last word Rosa was already peacefully sleeping on his arms, holding on his shirt. Benji smiles at his daughter and keep singing.

"**Nee yo ga akeru yo saigo no kotoba o kikoete iru mono nara tsutaetakute**

**nee nukegara dake no tsumetai hoho ni… sotto te o furesasete soba ni isasete tsuki no akari dake ga mimamotte ite kureta hazu… dakedo ima nani o omoi towa ni nemuru no…" Benji softly sings with Rosa on his arms rocking gently the infant. Rosa yawns cutely and rubs her eyes with her tiny fists.**

"**Nee asa ga kuru yo saigo no wakare mo. Gomen ne ai mo tsutaerarenai mama de…Moshi kanau nara kono utagoe kono MERODII…Kanata e to mukau anata e todokete kudasai…tsuki no akari dake ga mimamotte ite kureta hazu dakedo ima nani o omoi towa ni nemuru no…" Benji keeps singing while Rosa snuggles lazily against his chest. "Nee yo ga akeru yo saigo no kotoba o kikoete iru mono nara tsutaetakute…nee sono kagayaki wa kienai mama no…hitomi sura tozasazuni towa ni nemuru no…hitomi sura tozasazuni towa ni nemuru no…"**

**Benji looks down with a smile seeing Rosa sleeping holding on his shirt. "I didn't know that you could sing in Japanese." Isabel said in a whisper to not wake Rosa up. "You sing quite well." Benji blushes being heard. "Well I know few songs that I heard in the past." He answered with a small embarrassed smile. "Before I came to this land."**

"**It is a pretty song, where you heard it?" Isabel asks curious, she had never heard that song before. "I heard from a woman named Satsuki. I don't know where she learned it." Benji answered. "It is a beautiful melody." Isabel commented, Benji nods agreeing.**

"**You will place her on the carriage?" Isabel asked to Benji. "I can't." Benji replied with a small smile. "She is holding on me and I have the feeling that if I try to make her let me go she will wake." Isabel smiled seeing Rosa holding on Benji's shirt. "It shows that she loves you very much." She said to him. "She likes to sleep like that."**

**Benji chuckles a little. "Changing the subject a little your Japanese improved considerably on the past month." She commented while they walk around the church inner garden. "Sadly isn't enough to talk freely." Benji replied. "But is better than before and it is all thanks to you sister."**

**Isabel blushes at his words. "I am just aiding you, the progress is all yours." She said. "That is because I have a good teacher." Benji replied knowing that it will embarrass the nun. They keep the small chat for some more time.**

**On the next day Benji is walking around the city with Rosa, both of them needed those daily walks. Benji because was tiresome to stay locked indoors like he is staying in the church, the lack of books and music makes harder for him to stay there with out complaining besides he can't just continue to live on the church he already decided to leave the church when he learned Japanese well enough to talk with others with out problems, Rosa in other hand loves the noises and the sights from the outside comparing with the silence of the church.**

**Rosa let out a small chirp from her crib calling her father's attention. "What you need sweetie?" Benji asked to his daughter. "Attention?" Rosa let out a small and harsh chirp. "Okay it isn't attention. Dirty diaper?" Benji asked, once again Rosa let out the denying chirp. "Hungry?" Benji asked again wondering what surprises she would have to him when she grew older. Rosa let out a content chirp nodding her head lightly.**

"**Hungry, well hold on a little okay sweetie?" Benji said with a small smile. "I will get us to a nice park and then you eat okay?" Rosa let out her affirmative chirp. 'I wonder if all the babies are like that…wait they aren't…my sister wasn't like that and it all the babies were like that first time parents wouldn't have so much stress.' Benji thinks pushing the carriage to a nearby park. 'I guess that I got lucky to get a small baby genius that knows how to be quiet.'**

**In the park Benji finds a nice spot under the shade of a tree, far from kids playing giving them some room and safety since there won't be a flying toy moving on their direction. Benji locks the carriage breaks making sure that it won't move away and he pulls a shoulder bag from the compartment bellow the crib.**

**He moves to pick Rosa who is patiently waiting. Benji sits under the shade. "Here you go sweetie a very tasty milk for you." he said offering to Rosa a bottle filled with milk. Rosa hungrily sucks on it. Benji softly hums a song while Rosa eats. An excited girl's voice reaches Benji saying something in Japanese that he doesn't understand, thought he does get one word here and there.**

**Benji looks at the direction of the voice and sees an excited Iris running closer of him, she stops besides him saying something that he doesn't understand and looking at Rosa. The infant stop eating and curls up against Benji. Three more voices call Iris; at least it was what Benji could figure. He sees Maria, Kanna and Sumire running at them; Iris looks at her friends and says something to them that once again Benji fails to understand.**

**Benji sooths Rosa knowing that the loud voices are scaring her. Maria approaches Benji and apologizes, Benji understood that since he does know the words of apology in Japanese. "I don't speak Japanese." Benji says to Maria in English. "I am sorry." Maria said changing to English. "My friend here got excited seeing your child and got carried away."**

"**I understand, it is natural that someone that young getting excited seeing a baby." Benji replied. "Mind in asking her to lower her voice, she is scaring my daughter." Maria nods and tells to Iris to lower her voice. Kanna kneels next to Benji and looks at Rosa. "She isn't used to new people." Benji says to Maria. "She is a bit nervous." Maria nods understanding and tells that to Kanna.**

"**She is very cute." Sumire said in a heavy accented English. "Thank you." Benji replied. "She got it from her mother." Maria looks around the park and back to Benji. "And where is she?" she asked curious. "She died on the birth." Benji answered with a sad smile. "I am very sorry. I had no idea." Maria said in an apologetic tone. "It is okay; you didn't have how to know." Benji replied. "Besides I know how odd it must be seeing a man taking care of an infant." Maria nodded agreeing that was a very rare sight. Slowly getting used to the hanagumi surrounding her Rosa returned to her bottle, still looking around warily.**

**Benji sighs inwardly with the close scrutiny of the hanagumi, he knows that all the hanagumi girls are only daughters of their respective parents and that an infant was something totally new for them. "She is so cute." Sumire said politely kneeling near Benji and Rosa. "She has green eyes and blonde eyes just like yours Maria, maybe she is your." Sumire said teasingly.**

"**She is not mine Sumire." Maria replied sternly. "If she was Rosa's mother I for sure wouldn't allow her far of me." Benji said adding his two cents. Maria blushes with his words understanding the meaning of them. "As I said I am not her mother." Maria added after cleaning her throat.**

**Benji is inwardly laughing dryly at the slip of his tongue. 'Good work Benji. Embarrass a woman that is carrying a big revolver on her side. Dammit I should have prepared myself to a situation like this…' He inwardly kicks himself. The hanagumi girls taking out Maria are excitedly looking and chatting about Rosa.**

**Rosa stops eating and pushes the bottle away signaling that she is done. Benji places the bottle besides him and carefully rests Rosa on his left shoulder and gives some light pats on her back until she burps. The girls look at it curious, Benji changes Rosa of position again and she snuggles against him.**

**Benji softly rocks Rosa humming softly to her. The hanagumi stays in silence understanding what he is doing. Quite soon Rosa is soundly sleeping on Benji's arms. "So cute…" Sumire whispered, the others girls nod agreeing. Benji places Rosa on her carriage and pulls the roof halfway open covering her from the sun. Benji picks the bottle and closes the lid, before placing it back on his shoulder bag.**

"**I am sorry that we disturbed you and bothered you for so long." Maria said to Benji. "It is okay." Benji replied with a small smile. "I know that a baby is something that everyone likes to see." Maria nodded agreeing, the hanagumi girls quietly say their farewell and walk away chatting.**

**Benji let out a sigh. 'That was so close…' he thinks looking at them moving away. 'I guess that I should be more careful when picking places to go with Rosa as more attractive the idea of hanging around the hanagumi is I think that it will be better it I don't hang around them.'**

Kyoto December fifteenth 1925; 10:45 AM

"Rosa." Benji called his daughter. "Rosa it is time to wake up sweetie." Rosa pouts cutely and stretches on his arms; she opens her eyes and looks up at Benji sleepily. "Good morning sweetie." Benji said kissing Rosa's forehead lightly. "Good morning…" she replied sleepily. "I want to sleep more…" Benji smiles and kisses Rosa's forehead again. "Not now sweetie, you can nap again later." He said, Rosa pouts again but rubs her eyes as if trying to rub the sleepiness away.

"How long did I slept?" Rosa asked looking around. "Just few minutes." Benji replied hiding the fact that she had slept over one hour. Rosa notices that the plate where her mochis were is gone. "How many is those few minutes?" she asked turning her green eyes at Benji's blue eyes. "Around ninety." Benji answered with a smile. "You needed that nap." Rosa nods unwilling agreeing; she had slept really well and wouldn't deny that sleeping on her father's arms with him singing for her was the best way to get on sleep and that would lead to the best sleep that she could get.

Rosa moves a little on his lap and is now sitting on his lap with her small arms around his neck; she gives a loving kiss on Benji's cheek. "Thank you Daddy." She said resting her head on his shoulders. "You are welcome sweetie." Benji replied with a smile. Rosa inhales deeply taking in her father's scent, something that she always found calming and soothing, she knew that he had made her sleep so she could relax and she also knows that he woke her up because the time of the attempt was nearing.

Rosa looks at the street and sees that it is filled with people, after all is Kyoto's main commercial district. Benji looks at his watch and Rosa looks too; Benji gives Rosa a kiss on the cheek and puts her down. Rosa takes a deep breath after giving her father a quick peck on the cheek. Benji gets up and takes Rosa's right hand with his left before moving to the middle of the crowd.

Benji looks at the crowd from above, an easy feat considering that he towered everyone on the crowd by at least fifteen centimeters. He saw another figure towering as he does over the crowd, this one sported a short blonde hair and green eyes, and Benji looks around Maria and finds Kaede near her. Now Benji focuses his eyes and he can see the faint killing intents in many places over the crowd, the years as an assassin made Benji able to see and feel things that most people can't, especially after he moved to Kyoto and found a master that beated those skills on him, literally.

Seeing one of the spots of killing intent moving closer of Kaede and Maria Benji begins with his plan, he pulls a small pistol from his pocket and aims to the ground and fires three times. The bullets of that gun make lots of noise but there isn't projectiles hitting the ground, they are blanks made specially to make a lot of noise, not to hurt anyone. As expected the crowd panics and run away.

The assassins on the crowd are surprised what gives Benji and Rosa time to act. Benji covers the distance between them with Rosa holding on his arm, not even touching the ground. Benji pulls Maria down and in the instant after a bullet hits a wall on the line where he head was. Following the plan Rosa let go of her father and grabs Kaede's hand forcefully pulling her away from there. Benji draws both of his pistols and begins to shooting at the assassins on the crowd knowing exactly where they are and with out wasting a shot.

Maria looks up to Benji now on her place kneeled next to him, she was stunned with the velocity that everything happened and the fact that Kaede is now running away dragged by a young blonde girl. Soon the streets are empty taking out Benji, Maria and ten assassins. Benji sees one of them pulling a pistol; he quickly covers Maria with his body knowing that she is the secondary target of the attack. The bullets hit harmlessly Benji on the chest and Benji fires at the assassin.

Maria decides to ask questions later and deal with the assassins first, she pulls her Enfield and fires at the assassins while moving to take cover behind a mail box. Not worried with the bullets Benji stays on the middle of the street, two assassins charge at him with swords. Benji shrugs at their stupidity and blow their heads off.

Kaede hears the firefight half block away and she looks down at the little girl that is pulling her. Rosa stops running and turns at Kaede. "You will be safe there." Rosa said to her. "If you excuse me." She added with a polite bow before running away. "Odd little girl." Kaede muttered looking around and she sees that the girl or Rosa had taken her to the front door of a police station. "Smart little girl." Kaede said entering on the building to get aid to Maria.

Rosa disobeys her father's orders and runs back to the street where the fight is taking place, Rosa finds a secure spot fifty meters away from the street but with a clear view of it and begins to assemble her small rifle. She looks thorough the scope and sees Benji with the front of his clothes burned showing the metal armor thorough the large opening on chest; the arms and back of the clothes are undamaged.

Benji mutters a curse while reloading his pistols after killing one of the assassins that attacked with a small but potent flamethrower. Maria is actually impressed with the fact that Benji is still standing after taking many shots and a flame burst. One of the assassins is sneaking to Maria while she is distracted firing at another assassin that is covered by a lamppost.

A cry of pain alerts Maria that turns to the direction of the sound and she sees an assassin holding his right eye with blood seeping thorough his fingers, he was in a line where he could get a clean shot of her, Maria sees a gun on at his feet and shots him wondering what caused the man's wound since the gun was intact. From her hiding spot Rosa scans the area looking for another target, she couldn't do much but she would do what she could to aid, namely give a bit of a cover and making the assassins not sneak around.

Unlike Maria Benji did saw what caused the man's wound and make a mental note to ground Rosa for disobeying his orders. A loud shot, different from the ones from his pistols or Maria's fills the air. Sparks quickly appears on Benji's right side, some blood drops spray from Benji's mouth. Benji falls clenching his teeth with blood running from the corner of his lips being quickly absorbed by his mask.

Benji forces himself and rolls to the left instants before another shot was fired and hit the ground where he was. Benji forces himself back to his feet. 'That guy is aiming at my central mass.' Benji thinks removing the magazine of one of his pistols before firing a single round on the ground besides him. 'He is an amateur, true snipers go for head shots.' Benji takes a step to the right and a bullet hisses and hits harmlessly a wall.

Maria stares in shock, he just sidestepped a bullet after he was shot, even knowing exactly where the shooter are moving fast enough on the exact instant needed to avoid the shot was something nearly impossible. Rosa forces herself to stay on her hiding spot, she knows that if she goes there she might get hit or anger her father because she exposed herself to the danger, Rosa clutches at her rifle praying in silence for him be well and not get hurt more that he already is.

Benji pulls a red tipped Dragon's fang from his left pocket and insets on the pistols by the open ejection port, Benji releases the slide lock closing the chamber and he aims at sniper that is on a tall building around one hundred meters away. "You should have learned the first rule of sniping." Benji says focusing on the roof where the sniper is desperately trying to reload the rifle. "One shot…" Benji said before pulling the trigger and seeing the head of the sniper exploding in a mist of blood. "One kill…"

Benji exhales satisfied. Rosa cries for him running on his direction with her rifle on her small hands. Benji tucks the pistol on his belt and kneels before she tosses herself on him; Benji holds Rosa and runs off to the general direction of the building where the dead sniper is. Kaede arrives with the police ten seconds after Benji took off with Rosa, Maria reports to the Fujieda woman what happened.

Few blocks away Benji is leaning in a wall clutching his right side breathing hard. "Daddy you shouldn't move like that." Rosa said in a concerned tone. "You should be moving to a hospital." Benji spits some blood on the ground. "Not now sweetie… I need to check something first…" He replied in a painful tone. "Dismantle your rifle and hide it…" Rosa nods and does so, as soon she is done they move to the building where the sniper is, Benji cleans his lips, chin and nose that began to bleed on the run, Benji closes his coat that thankfully was unharmed by the fire blast since it was open.

Benji and Rosa arrive at the roof; Rosa waits by the stairs while Benji moves to the corpse. 'I was right.' He thinks after picking up the rifle and checking the magazine. Benji hides the rifle under his coat and leave with Rosa. The child can see that is getting harder for her father to walk. "Daddy we need to get you to a doctor." Rosa said in a worried tone. "I know sweetie…I know…" He replied tiredly. Rosa pulls Benji to a deserted alley and makes him sit behind few dumpsters. "Wait here Daddy. I will get a doctor." Rosa said to him unable to hold her tears any longer. "Don't die…"

Benji nods with a pained smile and ruffles Rosa's hair. "I am not going to die…" He said in a firm tone. Rosa nods and runs to get aid for him already knowing who to call. 'I am not done yet…' Benji thinks seeing Rosa running away, a smile traces his lips. 'I can't stand see her crying…if I die she will cry…' Benji coughs some blood, he looks to the wall before him and say just above a whisper. "And I still haven't fulfilled that mission yet…I can't die before avenging you Alexis…"

End of the chapter three:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that have read and reviewed and to everyone that is reading this story.

More Author notes:

Rosa's Lullaby is a song called Requiem, the ending theme of an anime called Corrector Yui. The song sounds and feels like a lullaby for me, so it ended as Rosa's lullaby. But I don't own the song.


	4. Intermission

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. Some anime or manga characters might show up in the story I also don't own then. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter four: Intermission

Kyoto December fifteenth 1925; 3:35 PM

Kaede walks to the room of the hotel where she is staying with Maria. "Anything wrong Maria?" Kaede asked to the blonde who is looking at the window, sited in a chair. "You are like that since we came back from the police station." "I am not hurt or shaken by this morning incident if is that what you are asking." Maria replied. "That is good to know but isn't what I am asking." Kaede said while sitting in a chair facing Maria. "I am asking why you are sited like that staring out of that window since we returned from the police station three hours ago."

Maria looks at Kaede. "I am thinking." Maria answered. "About what?" Kaede asked. "I mean you don't have to answer if you don't want to." She added quickly. "It isn't something personal." Maria said. "I am thinking at that man that dealt with most of the assassins that were after us, he not only knew that we were the target but also when and where we would be attacked."

"Well it is intriguing." Kaede commented. "But that isn't what is making me think like this." Maria continued. "As the assassins he could get the information about our route and used to protect us, what is bothering me is that a little girl not older than five years old was there armed and helping too; and she called him of 'Daddy' when he was shot."

Kaede nods understanding. "I can understand why it bothers you." Kaede said with a small smile. "To be honest it bother me too, it was that same little girl that pulled me away from that street and took me to the police station, after you told me about her it was clear that she was involved in our protection, what kind of father would take such a cute little girl to a battle?"

Maria nods agreeing. "I really wanted to say a bad one." Maria said looking out of the window again. "But it was easy to feel the worry and the love on her voice when she cried his name when he was shot, it is clear that she loves him very much and a bad father isn't loved by his children." Kaede nods understanding. "There is something else bothering you isn't it?" Kaede asked. "It does." Maria answered.

"I don't know why I am remembering this now." Maria said running her left hand on her hair uncovering her left eye and tucking the hair behind her ear. "But I recalled few things that happened sometime after I joined the hanagumi." "Like what?" Kaede asks curious. "It is kind of silly to remember this kind of thing especially after an incident like this." Maria said resting her chin on her left hand leaning on the window frame. "I recalled of a father with his child back in Teito."

"What about them?" Kaede asked leaning back on her chair. "I don't know much about them, I recall that he was new on the country and didn't speak Japanese, we used to meet him by accident in parks and in streets when he was with his daughter." Maria answered. "All of us got really excited over the baby, she was very young not older than one month. I think that all of us got really attracted to her because we all are single daughters and never saw a child like that."

Kaede nods understanding. "For around six months after Sumire joined the hanagumi we meet them occasionally on the city." Maria continued. "I was wondering if all they are still alive or even on the country, I know that we fought to protect people like them but after this incident I wondered if they benefited of the battles that we fought."

"I am sure that they have." Kaede says with a smile. "Not only those two, hundreds if not thousands more have benefited of the battles that you and the others won because of them. Teito is once again shinning on its glory and everyone is happy there." "I hope so Kaede." Maria replied.

Earlier in that day in another part of the city

Rosa looks at her father with tears on her green eyes; he is now lying unconscious in a tatame mat floor. "Don't worry Rosa-chan he is a very strong man." A woman with long black hair and pearly white skin says to the blonde girl. "But Tayu-san he is bleeding too much…" Rosa whimpered.

A snapping sound is heard. "At last." Tayu exclaimed removing the mobile part of Benji's chest plate. "Don't cry Rosa-chan it isn't as bad as it looks." Tayu said placing the plate down, she uses her right hand thumb and index finger and pulls something from the wound. "See the bullet haven't even entered one centimeter on his side, I am betting that he got some cracked rib and blood on his lungs, easily fixable."

Rosa looks at the bloody bullet. "Why you don't go take a bath Rosa-chan?" Tayu said in a gentle tone. "You got blood on your pretty blonde hair." Rosa wants to protest but a teenage girl with short black hair pulls Rosa away. "Let's leave Tayu-san working and let's take a bath together, I will wash your hair." The girl said, Rosa nods not so willing but goes with her.

Ai looks at Tayu. "So it is bad or not?" she asked to the other woman. "It is considerably bad." Tayu answered. "I am holding only the metal jacket of the bullet and the rear core, the front core pierced deeper while the jacket and the rear slowed down against the armor plate." "Should I get a doctor?" Ai asked. "You forgot that I am one?" Tayu asked with a small smile. "Otherwise why Benji would tell Rosa to call me when he gets hurt?"

"You have a point there." Ai replied with a smile. "Do me a favor and tell to my girls bring some alcohol and my treatment bag, they will find the bag on my room." Tayu said. Ai nods and leaves the room. "Now you hang in there and don't go dying on me here. Rosa-chan will cry a lot if you die." Tayu said to the unconscious Benji, two girls with black hair wearing white kimonos enter on the room, one is carrying a black leather bag and the other a two metal pails and an alcohol bottle.

"Sanae I want you to sterilize for me a pair of tweezers, the scalpel, the stitch needle and line." Tayu said to the one with the bag. "Mariko you place the alcohol one of the pails." Both girls nod and obey quickly. Tayu cleans the wound with some alcohol and then uses the scalpel to open the wound so she can extract the bullet, using one of the tweezers Tayu holds the wound open and carefully inserted the other on the wound probing from the core.

"Sanae get a towel." Tayu said to the girl. "I got the bullet and when I pull it there will be a lot of blood." the girl nods and runs to get a clean towel, she returns with it and Tayu pulls the bullet slowly, Sanae covers the wound as soon Tayu removed the bullet and quickly the white towel turns to red.

Sane keep the pressure there and after few minutes she removes the towel to see that the bleeding is gone. "That is good, it seems that that was the blood from the internal bleeding, since it stopped the bleeding had stopped." Tayu said cleaning the wound again before stitching it close. Sanae and Mariko get rid of the blood stained towel and clean the instruments were used.

When done Tayu bandages Benji's chest. "We are done here." She said. "Let's talk with Rosa-chan and see if she wants to follow his original plan." The duo nod and leave the room after helping Tayu to make Benji more comfortable in a futon and a blanket.

**Benji is lying over his stomach over a tall building with a large sniper rifle on his hands, looking at a half destroyed street with many damaged buildings and cars thru the scope. "Here is Benji path is clear." He whispers knowing that the microphones on his choker-like collar captured it loud and clear. "Roger that Benji, we are moving now." A feminine voice answered.**

"**How are things looking?" Another voice asked. "As I said it is clear, I took out the guards, but your behind is looking quite good Ringo." Benji replied in a teasingly tone. "Very funny Benji." Ringo said from her location behind a wall with six more people. "Wait a second there! If you are saying that my ass looks good it means that you are aiming at me!" she hissed turning around and looking down to her hip seeing a red dot flashing in quick intervals.**

"**You said to me watch your back." Benji commented playfully turning on and off the laser sight of his rifle. "Very funny." She spats acidly. "Come on Ringo it was funny." Lisa said to the blonde woman. "We joke later." Marcelo says to them. "We still have to secure that building."**

"**Marcelo is right Benji." Ivens says to the brunette that is half kilometer away from them. "See of you can find the power box and take it out." "Sure thing." Benji replied leveling his rifle to a large school that was altered to a fort. "I just got an update on the TACTLINK." Lisa said reading something in a PDA. "They got a connection with a satellite that is over this area, we got a thermal reading of the building."**

"**How many hostiles there are in there?" Marcelo added moving closer of the brunette. "Around thirty seven." Lisa answered. "Wait six of them aren't moving and by the location are close of windows and the outer wall, those are the guards that Benji took down."**

"**I am also getting some large readings, I think that they have some machinery in there." Lisa added. "So cutting the power won't do much good, just give in the top few minutes with out light inside but it is still a bright day." Ringo commented. "It will disable alarms and computers." Ivens said. "We can get some information out of them."**

"**Okay then Benji you hit the power lines when I say so." Marcelo says to Benji. "I advise to hurry up then because my own thermal sight is showing that they are moving and they might find the dead guards." Benji replied. "Let's move." Marcelo said and the others obey, with the signal Benji shoots the power lines and the operation begins.**

**Less than five minutes later it is over and the school are secured and Benji is moving to the school with the rifle on his back and a pistol on his hands. Inside the building Lisa is reporting to the command center, the school was an important strategic location to retrieve and more troops are being sent to assure that it won't fall on enemy's hands again.**

**Later on that day the group is sited in an empty classroom with a gas burner with a pan over it fixing their dinner. "Taking this school was quite easy; I was expecting more resistance from them." Ringo commented. "Considering that we are having operations like this all over the city it is normal, they are sending the troops to other locations making easier for us to take down their bases." Lisa replied.**

"**Still this is only a satellite base; we still need to move deeper to get on the real location of them." Marcelo said stirring the contents of the pan with a spoon. "He is right deeper we move to retake the control of the city harder it will get." Ivens commented.**

"**As long it is only them that die I am fine with it." Benji said while cleaning his rifle. "If they think that they won because the civilians were forced to evacuate the city they are dead wrong." Ringo sighs. "You didn't used to be like this." She said to Benji. "I know that you are angry because the PCC caused all the gangs and professional criminals to join up in an open war forcing us to leave our homes but you can't just think like that."**

"**I think that they all must die." Benji said calmly. "You know that as well as I do Ringo, they think that rule over everyone by violence and try to force the government to play by their rules by murdering innocents and causing destruction, as far as I care they are better dead." "I agree with him." Lisa added. "You know that they are just getting more and more violent. And there are people that think that those criminals have more rights than the innocents and their victims, those who can't change and will continue to harm others like they do shouldn't stay alive to cause suffering to the others. We can't do anything else that killing them now trying to minimize the damage that they cause."**

"**I know that they deserve to die but you two doesn't need to be so blunt about it." Ringo commented. "They are criminals by choice and profession I don't see why not be blunt about it." Lisa said. Ringo sigh seeing that the argument is pointless. "Anyway we should be staying here for some time, in three days this school will be converted in a base for the police, army and national force." Ivens says changing the subject. "We are one step closer of the favelas and we will be holding this position." Everyone else nods understanding.**

**One week later Benji and his group are returning to the main base of the joint government forces. Inside the large police headquarters there is many soldiers and policemen inside its tall walls. The only way of telling who belongs to which force is the uniform, the police are wearing their dark gray uniforms with armored vest over it; the army and the national force are wearing urban camouflage BDUs with armored vests over it and everyone is armed with at least a semi-automatic pistol and a submachine gun.**

**Benji's group is a mixed one, Marcelo is wearing a BDU, Ringo and Ivens are wearing police uniforms, Lisa is wearing a police uniform with a urban camouflage jacket over it, Benji is wearing black cargo pants, black combat boots, a white t-shirt, a urban camouflage button down shirt over it, a armored vest, a military utility vest over it and a urban camouflage jacket over it all.**

**Benji can hear some whispering in other groups, it is normal considering that nearly everyone on the base and in combat was either from the police or the military and Benji is a civilian, there isn't many civilians allowed to combat. After reporting to the superiors the group moves to the armory, Benji is talking with the already familiar face of Pablo the main gunsmith of the base.**

"**My HK is a bit off." Benji said placing his HK MK23 Mod 0 on the counter of the armory. "And I think that the bolt of my AWM is a bit loose so is the breech." He added also placing his rifle there. "Well for sure you overused this one." Pablo said checking the rifle. That .338 Lapua is quite powerful and you got some rapid fire out of this one that is why the bolt is a bit loose you forced too much, but I can fix it. How long you will be hanging around?"**

"**One week." Benji replied. "We are supposed to wait here for our new mission and some member of the intelligence that should go with us on the new mission." "Well I think that I can get you some new pieces, I got a new shipment of weapons." Pablo said. "I even got a large number of machine pistols here." "I am not too fond of Uzis." Benji commented. "Or MACs."**

"**I got some nice Steyrs." Pablo said. "Let check them." Benji replied. Pablo nodded and moved to get the weapons. "This one is the TMP, is a machine pistol and has a tactical handle to better accuracy and control in full auto mode." He said showing the black pistol. "And this one is SPP is the civilian model of the TMP, it doesn't have a tactical handle and has a small spur on the trigger guard that combined with the small front guard can be held as a small rifle."**

"**They are for sure interesting." Benji commented looking at them. "I like the full auto mode of the TMP but the design of the SPP." Pablo smiled. "I knew that you would like it, give me one week and I can convert this SPP into a TMP with out the tactical handle." he said. "Remove the front guard too." Benji tells to the gunsmith. "Sure, anything else?" he replied. "Can you make one that fires .45 ACP rounds?" Benji asked. "Sure, it will be tricky but I can do it." Pablo answer. "Then I take one of each." Benji said.**

**Pablo nods placing the guns on the balcony. "You still want the HK to be repaired?" he asked. "I am a believer of the saying that you never have too many guns." Benji answered. "So yes I want it too." Pablo nods chuckling. "Your AWM and the HK will be done by the evening I let you know when the Steyrs will be ready by then." He said. Benji nodded and walks away.**

**Few hours later Benji had picked his weapons and he is with his group near of one of the tends armed for the excess of personal on the headquarters, the base was holding three times more people than it was designed to and those who weren't high enough to get the barracks are staying on collective tends. Not so far from the others Benji and his friends can hear some of the military personal and police officers gossiping about him.**

"**You know I am really tired of hearing that." Ringo commented after hearing one soldier telling to another about Benji's mercenary like situation on the combat. "Let them talk Ringo." Benji said to the blonde. "They are jealous since at least I am getting some money out of this war and they aren't gaining anything other than their normal payment."**

"**Still they are talking like you are some kind of killer that is here just for the pleasure of killing." She replied. "Well since Benji is part of this recon and assault group he does killed many more criminals than many of the soldiers and policemen here." Marcelo commented. "But we all know that he is on this battle because we need all the help that we can get."**

"**Still they are making him sound like some kind of monster." Lisa said. "Benji isn't like that." "Let them speak Lisa. If the allies are talking this much about me the enemy must be hearing some rumors that make me sound even worse." Benji said looking at the brunette. "I am here to help to end this war soon; it can't drag any longer than the needed. I don't care about the rumors."**

"**At least you have the permit to be here and fighting." Ivens commented. "After hearing what you and your brother did when the criminals came down from the hills it isn't a surprise that they accepted your request." "And what happened to Victor?" Marcelo asked. "He didn't want to fight, he only did then because we were on the path of the criminals and we had to fight so we could escape." Benji answered. "I am here because I want to prevent innocents from getting hurt like it happened then." The others nod understanding.**

**One week later Benji is on the shooting range testing his new machine pistols. "They work perfectly." Benji said to Pablo after firing one magazine with each gun. "I am glad that you liked." he replied. "I added twenty magazines for each on the pack and ammo enough to refill all of them three times."**

"**Thanks." Benji said holstering the guns. "You are welcome." He replied. "When is the mission briefing?" "In two hours." Benji answered. "Well good luck with your new mission." Pablo said. "Thank you." Benji replied.**

**Two hours later Benji and the others are in a tent reserved for briefings. "Your mission is to regain the control of a base near of hill of Gurigica." An officer says to them showing to the group a map. "This base is a former super market that was altered to allow the enemy to live in there for long periods of time; we want that base intact so the mission is to eliminate all the hostiles of the base with the minimal damage to the base. Sergeant Dupree from the national force intelligence will be joining the group providing intel on this mission."**

**A tall woman with short black hair wearing BDU walks on the tend and introduces herself and the briefing continues. "She isn't to be fighting in the front line so Himura will be responsible for her safety since he is a sniper and stays on the rear." The officer continued. "Sergeant is good markswoman and won't need much protection, but I want that Himura and Dupree stay together."**

**Benji nods unwilling at the idea of having to baby-sit an intelligence agent on the entire mission. After ten more minutes of briefing the group is dismissed, Benji moves to the armory, sergeant Dupree tags along she was curious to find more about the highly mentioned 'Gate keeper of the world of death' and the 'Ultimate lancer', Benji is well aware of his nickname.**

**He won't deny that he gained that title by his own effort; he had more kills than any other operative registered and more than once Benji threatened some stupid police or military officers in showing to them how well he could use his 'gate keys to throw them thru the gate.' Benji is aware that the top dogs didn't ordered him to guard the sergeant just because he was a sniper, he knew that he wasn't exactly well seem by them and once the war was over many would question why a civilian had the permission to fight and killed many with out being punished. Benji knew that they wanted to see if the government was criticized they could use him as an escape goat.**

**In the armory Benji requests a FN P90 and a FN Five-seveN since there was a good chance of meeting with armored enemies and Benji didn't want to waste his AWM ammo with them. After getting twenty magazines for each new weapon not counting the one in them and many ammo boxes Benji meets the others.**

"**You don't think that you are exaggerating a little bit?" the sergeant asked to Benji. "No." Benji answered shortly. "I don't know when I will be able to restock my ammo supply. I prefer carry more and don't use it than not having when I need it." She nods understanding all soldiers that face combat can understand that, but she also knows that there is a limit of how much weight someone can carry with out slowing down.**

**The group leaves at the nightfall; they all agreed that the cloak of the night was better to move safely to their destination. "How close we should get of that base?" Ringo asked to the others; everyone knew that Marcelo was the official leader of the group but among them group there wasn't a true leader and they all divided the leadership giving the post to the one most suited in a situation, plan or mission.**

"**Well we should ask to Benji that since he lived on that area before this battle began." Lisa replied. "I agree with you two." Marcelo replied. "So we enter on the area tonight or we base up outside the area?" "I think that we should maneuver to the Reta da Penha and camp in the Sur La Pierre that if the building is still standing." Benji replied in an emotionless way. Taking out Monique everyone nods with somber faces, Monique makes mental note to ask to the others why they reacted like that.**

**In less than three hours the group is walking up in a hill, Monique looks around seeing the badly destroyed buildings of the area. Since the Reta da Penha was one of the main streets of Vitória the initial conflicts were focused there. Benji and the others stop nearly at the end of the hill and look to their right to where once had a building, now only ruins.**

"**Why this building is like this when the others are still standing?" Monique asked to the others. "Because this building was near of a hospital and when the conflict began a criminal group came to destroy the two hospitals that were located on this hill and when destroying the hospital they missed some rockets and destroyed this building." Ivens answered. "They have also hitted the sister building of the one where we will be staying in."**

**They enter in the area of the condo of the building that they will be staying and lock shut the two gates, the only entrances for the area, using thermal goggles they find that other than few stray cats and dogs the buildings and the area is empty. "We can camp on the sixth floor and wait there until tomorrow night." Benji says to the others. "Why on the sixth floor?" Monique asked. "That building might collapse." "It wasn't hit by the rockets and it is solid, besides being on that height will enable us to see if anyone approaches." Benji answered to the intelligence agent.**

Kyoto December fifteenth 1925; 3:40 PM

Benji opens his eyes and looks around. "Finally up." Tayu said looking at the assassin. "How long I was out?" He asked to the hostess. "We found you unconscious when Rosa-chan took us to the alley where you were." She answered kneeling besides him. "So around six hours?" Benji asked. "Give or take a handful of minutes." She replied. "You need anything?"

"I wouldn't mind some water." Benji replied, she nods and asks for one of her girls to fetch some water. "So what are the damages?" Benji asked turning to the hostess. "One broken rib and a small puncture on your right lung, but the bleeding have stopped a long time ago." Tayu answered. "I have already patched you up and in few days you will be back on your shape."

Benji nodded. "How is Rosa?" he asked. "Well I had to drug her tea earlier to make her sleep a bit, she was very nervous and after we picked up everything from your apartment I putted her to sleep." She answered in a calm tone taking the water from the girl and giving to Benji.

"Pay attention on the underworld because I don't think that the mind behind the attempt will stop just with one failed attempt." He said after quenching his thirst. "I am doing that already, any suspicious activity will be flagged and we will know about it." Tayu replied with a small smile. "Now rest and heal because knowing you as I do you are planning to interfere again if they attempt again." Benji nods and lies down to try getting some sleep.

Kyoto December fifteenth 1925; 7:53 PM

Kaede returns to her room and finds Maria cleaning her revolver absent minded. "The reports, empty cartridges and projectiles from the firefight were given to me." Kaede said placing a brown paper bag over the table where Maria is sited. "The bullet in the assassin that nearly got you was a .22 taking out your .45 long Colt the calibers that that man used was 9mm Parabellum and .45 ACP; both of them seem to have overpressure loads."

Maria looks at Kaede. "And the most shocking of it all is this one." Kaede added pulling a small brown envelope from her breast pocket. "This is a heavy altered version of a .45 ACP." Maria takes the envelope and opens it. "The projectiles were all cleaned." Kaede commented.

Maria nodded and flopped the bullet on her gloved palm. "My god…" she commented seeing the massive projectile on her palm. "It is a pointed projectile identical to a rifle round." Kaede nods agreeing, she had listened to that before. "The mass of the projectile is at least twice bigger than the mass of a normal ACP and there is a hollow point on the rear tip of the projectile." Kaede said sitting down. "It is clear that it was made to give more impulse to the projectile. Actually speaking that is a re-creation of the projectile that he used, the actual projectile is this one."

Kaede hands to Maria two cutted halves of the bullet held into a glass piece. "That projectile has two cores inside the jacket." Kaede explained. "It was made to travel long distances and pierce thorough armor, at least it was that the experts assumed from our report and the damage on the sniper." Maria nods understanding, but she knows that whoever made that bullet was giving to the man a great advantage in terms of ammunition.

"We could really use the technology that this mysterious man has, those machine pistols are really something, just by your reports I am impressed." Kaede commented, Maria nodded absent minded recalling the size and shape of the last bullet that he fired, even how he fired a last round on the ground to empty the chamber and hand load straightly that huge bullet and that the expended case never left the chamber.

"That bullet was designed with the single purpose of increase the killing power as a last measure in combat." Maria said. "What?" Kaede asked confused. "That bullet isn't something that can be used all the time." Maria explained. "He used one of his machine pistols to fire it but it wasn't made to fire that bullet, the cartridge never left the chamber meaning that is jammed the pistol. It is a last resource, using it mean betting his life in that single bullet because removing the empty cartridge from the chamber will take time and concentration." Kaede nods understanding the explanation.

End of the chapter four:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that have read and reviewed and to everyone that is reading this story.

More Author notes:

Finally I am revealing more about Benji, I am sure that some of you is saying or thinking 'it is about time'. Sadly I won't be revealing much more about Benji yet, but here are some needed explanations about that part of the story.

PCC: Stands for Primeiro Comando da Capital. It is a criminal organization that was born in the Brazilian jail system, it is ruled by high profile criminals from inside the prisons. The events displayed in the story are fictitious so are the point of views about criminals.

The War: The idea for this civil war between the Government and an organized army of criminals was created based in a series of criminal and terrorist attacks against buses, people and other locations planned by the PCC. More details about the war and other major factors of the war will be revealed as the story develops.

Benji's unit: Everyone in Benji's unit is based on real people, names were changed and some of them are made of the sum of more than one individual.


	5. Punishment

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. Some anime or manga characters might show up in the story I also don't own then. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter five: Punishment

Kyoto December seventeenth 1925; 10:31 AM

Rosa is working on her homework next to Benji who is sited on his bed cleaning his pistols. Tayu is near Benji making sure to not let him force himself too much while he works on his pistols. "Found her Tayu?" Benji asked looking at the hostess. "Yes, as you said she was hiding." Tayu answered. "She already learned that you were shot with one of her specials and that you are quite angry at her."

"So for three more days we will let her simmer?" Benji asked already knowing the answer for that. "Yes, you know that I won't let you out of the bed until then." Tayu answered. "You need to heal." Rosa nodded agreeing still looking at her homework. "Anything on a possible new hit attempt?" Benji asked to Tayu. "It seems that whoever is behind this is planning a new one before the targets move away from Kyoto." Tayu answered.

Benji nods understanding. "So for few days is once again the waiting game." He commented. "That is right and you can use the time to heal." Tayu replied. "And Rosa-chan can use the time to catch up with the classes that she missed." Rosa nodded agreeing, she likes helping her father but she hated being behind on her school work, especially since she skipped few grades because her intelligence.

Kyoto December nineteenth 1925; 1:12 PM

Maiko was running in fear, her worse nightmare became real as Benji chased her, at least she thinks that he is chasing her, Benji is only following her; Maiko wonder in fear why she can't get any distance from her stalker while he just walks after her and why the distance is only getting smaller.

After few more minutes stalking Maiko Benji decides to end the game and capture the prey, Tayu was around and he wasn't fully recovered yet. With the aid of some of the girls of the pleasure district Benji takes Maiko to be questioned.

Maiko knows that she is deep in trouble, Rosa wasn't there and that means that Benji will be very bad with her with out worrying in show to Rosa things that she shouldn't see, she is trapped and unable to find a way out of the alley; Benji had her cornered.

Maiko presses her back against the sturdy wall as trying to melt as part of its solid structure. "Please Benji…can't we just talk things out…?" she asks in a shaky and scared voice. "We will talk." Benji said walking towards the frightened woman. "As soon I am done beating you to a pulp."

Maiko squeals in fear, Benji grabs Maiko's neck and with a swift movement lifts her with his left arm smashing her head against a lamp, making her pass out with the impact. "Well that solves everything." Tayu commented seeing Benji dropping the unconscious woman. "Of course solves." Benji replied with a smile. "Now that she is out we can prepare her to the worse scare of her life." Tayu chuckles and Benji whistle loudly calling the waiting car and the two girls to carry the unconscious Maiko.

Few hours later Maiko is tied on a strong wood post with her chest and face pressed against the wood, Benji and Tayu finished arranging everything to scare Maiko, who is still unconscious. "Why not just torture her?" Tayu asked knowing the tortures usually applied to woman of the pleasure district, it would for sure be better than Benji's idea.

"Because I am not really fond of torture, besides I really wanted to try this have a long time." Benji answered casually. "If doesn't work you can try in your way." Tayu nods and wonders how Benji would use a large piece of beef, a blow torch and a Popsicle to make Maiko speak; either way would be amusing for her to see what he will do.

After waking Maiko Benji begins his act. "You see Maiko I am really, really angry that you sold the bullets that you promised to not make to anyone else." Benji said lighting the torch. "Now I will be forced to hurt you." Maiko crying begs to him to not hurt her.

"I will burn you with this torch." Benji continued. "The flame will be so hot, but so hot that your nerves will be destroyed when you burn, you won't feel hot, it is quite the opposite you will feel very, very cold wherever I pass the flames and you will hear and smell your flesh burning."

Maiko pales and wets herself seeing the bluish blade of fire, unable to even let out a whimper of fear because of the terror that she is feeling. 'I must admit that so far just the preparation of her is making her very ready to spill everything.' Tayu thinks seeing how Maiko is scared.

Benji moves behind Maiko, she can't even try looking behind her because how she is tied. "Feel comfortable to scream as much as you want." Benji said taking the popsicle from the ice bucket. "No one can hear you." Then Benji runs the popsicle on Maiko's back hard while burning the beef with the torch.

Maiko screams while trying in vain escape from what she thinks is the torch burning her back. Tayu covers her mouth to prevent herself from laughing at the scene, the whole idea was ridiculous but at the same time it was plainly effective with out hurting the person being 'tortured'.

Benji pauses so Maiko can breathe. "Now I want to know how many rounds you sold, to who you sold, for how much, where you sold and how meet the buyer." Benji said to the woman. "If you don't say I will do it again." Maiko begins to tell Benji everything, Tayu tries hard to hold her laughter while writing down everything that the other woman spills as water from a broken dam.

"Is that all?" Benji asked casually. "Yes!" Maiko exclaimed scared. "I told you everything! EVERYTHING!!!" "That is good." Benji said turning off the torch. "You deserve a treat." After his words Benji turns to face Maiko and shoves the popsicle on her mouth. "I hope that you like orange."

Seeing the shock on Maiko's face Tayu is unable to keep herself composed and begins to laugh hard. Understanding that she was tricked Maiko spits the frozen treat and yells at Benji angrily; Benji didn't mind after all he humiliated and scared her enough to make her wet her self three times in a row, he was satisfied with that as revenge and punishment.

Tayu wipes few tears that squeezed their way because the laughter and calls few more girls to untie, clean and stash Maiko in a safe location for further reprehension. "Benji where you got the idea for that?" Tayu asked while they walk away from the room. "From a person that was something like a model and a teacher for me." Benji answered. "Even thought he never really taught me anything, I learned from watching him."

"And that person is alive?" Tayu asks curious. "No." Benji answered. "In the same way that we are the answer is no, but he is alive in other ways." "Should I try to understand that?" Tayu asked casually. "No." Benji replied in the same tone. "We have more important things to do and heading the list is retrieving the rounds that Maiko sold." Tayu nods understanding and decides to drop the issue.

Kyoto December Twentieth 1925; 2:53 PM

It is the eve of the day of the second attack against Kaede and Maria; Benji is now walking inside one of the few buildings build in occidental standards in Kyoto, he is carrying a hard leather guitar case on his left hand and he is wearing his assassination clothes. Two thugs in military uniforms see Benji walking pass the doors and leave their positions to block Benji from entering.

Benji places his case down while the two guards look at him menacingly while unbuttoning their holsters, with a swift movement Benji is with a pair of jet-black pistols on his hands and the two guards are with bullet holes on their foreheads. Benji knows that more guards will come attracted by the shots and moves quickly.

Benji moves to the elevator and opens the guitar case, from there he pulls a large bomb made of military grade demolition charges; he makes the elevator go up and takes the stairs. Benji reaches the upper floors faster than the elevator and sees a large number of guards waiting the doors to open, with a grin Benji sees the doors opening and pressed the button on the detonator setting off the charge killing most of the guards and severely wounding the rest of them.

Benji calmly walks on the corpse filled hall moving towards a room with solid dark wood doors, more guards jump out from that room and other rooms. Benji fires at them with his machine pistol, not expecting that kind of firepower the guards are quickly subjugated.

Benji reloads the pistol before holstering it, Benji opens the case and removes an assault rifle with out the shoulder stock from it, and then he tosses the case inside the room and sees it being riddled with bullets. Benji draws the machine pistol and enters on the room firing on the surprised guards.

It ends quickly and soon only Benji and one man wearing a military uniform and with the rank of major marked on it remains alive. "I have no idea of who you are or why you want to destroy the hanagumi this badly." Benji said pointing both weapons to the middle aged man. "But I am the dark guardian of those girls and I won't allow any kind of assassination being attempt against them."

"Why you do it?" the man asked in a calm voice. "You are clearly military, why support a bunch of women and children? Why allow them to protect the capital?" "Because they live in the light and give hope for those who live in the city." Benji said in a level tone. "An assassin or an army would never protect that city as they do, and for the crime of trying to destroy the stars of Teito you will die."

After those words the man tries to utter something, but Benji doesn't allow him to continue and empties the magazines on him. Benji holsters the pistol and moves to the dead officer's desk and takes every single piece of paper, object and any other source of information from him before leaving, Benji would discover who else wanted the hanagumi dead and kill them all.

Benji walks to the entry and sees more guards and a couple of lieutenants there waiting for him with rifles, Benji fires at them before they fire against him and soon is over and they are all dead. "I wonder if the Army actually trains them to shoot…" Benji muttered leaving the building with not even his coat grazed by bullets. "I never saw someone missing so much other than criminals."

Kyoto December Twentieth 1925; 7:21 PM

After returning to the pleasure district Benji searched on the documents that he stole from the office and discover that the second attack would happen with the combined force of the group that he had just killed, another group that the location weren't revealed and more hired assassins. Benji sighs tiredly and prepares more weapons for the second confrontation.

Rosa watches in silence at her father working, she knew that earlier that day he left to fight, it was easy to notice since he was armed, armored and carrying the guitar case, and that alone was a signal of prolonged combat, she could also feel the scent of gunpowder on him when he arrived, being exposed to that scent since a baby Rosa could tell very well when someone fired a gun.

She also knows that if he didn't take her to the job it was because was very dangerous, most of the time she was unable to go with him because of that, rare were the times that she was able to convince him to take her. She was aware that she was more hindrance than an aid when he was working; she was vulnerable, too small, weak, an easy target and weak point.

Benji never told her that but Rosa was smart enough to understand the limitations that she imposes on her father when going with him, but she wanted to help him after all he is everything that she has and worries when he leaves to fulfill an contract.

Rosa sighs inwardly seeing Benji loading an assault rifle, she is aware that he never uses that weapon unless it is a very dangerous job, the guitar case was another sign of that, it was made of leather and metal so it could be used as a shield as well to carry more weapons concealed.

Kyoto December Twenty First 1925; 11:45 AM

Maria and Kaede are in their hotel, because the assassination attempt and the fact that the investigation about the mysterious aiding man wasn't moving they have to return to Teito, Yoneda was worried about them. Maria is displeased by the news but accept because it is an order, what she truly wants is to know more about that man and the blonde little girl.

Kaede shares the feeling but she knows that unless that man presents himself they won't find anything, she discovered that the assassin with a child was a figure wrapped in respect, fear and silence, no one ever survived when facing him and the few that have contact with him doesn't say anything about his identity or even a hint to where find him.

The duo leaves their bedrooms and walk to the lobby with their luggage, Maria looks around and wonders why the lobby was so empty. Realization hits Maria when she recalls why they are leaving their visit earlier; it was too late because a large group of armed men runs out of the doors leading to the employees only area, restaurant and bar.

Maria curses her situation knowing that she can't react because she is surrounded, outnumbered and out armed. She can sense the horrid premonition of what those men will do with them and wonders if she should try to react to spare them of that horrible fate.

Maria is spared of that decision when the blocked doors of the hotel are forcibly opened by a blast, the group of men shoot at the door ignoring the inability to locate a target because of the smoke. A canister flies out of the cloud of dust and lands near of the group of soldiers closer to the door.

An explosion fires red hot shrapnel on the formation of men ripping them into bloody pieces, the explosion is followed by many shots from the cloud and the fall of more of the armed men, Maria pulls her revolver and pull Kaede to the elevator knowing that it would give more protection than staying on their current location.

Maria can hear the sound of the shots and an occasional sound of bullets ricocheting on metal, knowing the layoff of the lobby she knows what is causing the ricochet. "He is here!" Maria shouted to Kaede to be heard above the roar of the bullets. "Who is where?!" Kaede asked confused.

End of the chapter five:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that have read and reviewed and to everyone that is reading this story.

Even more Author notes:

Alright everyone I am quite sure that the 'torture' scene speaks by itself, I took that idea from The Punisher the movie. I don't own it but as mentioned in the chapter I really wanted to try that one. The guitar case idea is from Desperado, (great movie) I also don't own it but it is really good way to carry out weapons, you can even stash long arms there. Explanations about Benji taking ideas from those movies will be told later in the story so please wait for them.

……………………………………………………………………………………………...

Preview

An armor can't protect one's heart…

An armor is useless to protect one's soul…

Yet an armor can protect one's body if strong enough to bear its weight…

The price of the protection is the constriction…

When an unprotect love is exposed to danger is the protection worth…?

My little rose bloomed in the battlefield…

My little rose can't wither in the battlefield…

Next in Sakura Taisen Kyoukan no Roze: Steel clad assassin


	6. Steel clad assassin

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. Some anime or manga characters might show up in the story I also don't own then. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

New feature in the story:

I will be using a series of ……… to mark scene changes and a series of **………** to mark changes from a scene to a flashback and from a flashback to a present time scene.

The use of bold text will be reserved to recollections and flashbacks triggered by one action of a character.

I.e. a character starting a flashback by thinking on the event or speaking about the event of the flashback to other characters, the flashbacks started this way won't be started with the dots but a dot separated flashback most of the times will be a character started flashback as it occurred before on the story with the bold text flashbacks.

Chapter six: Steel clad assassin

Kyoto December Twenty First 1925; 11:45 AM

Maria and Kaede are in their hotel, because the assassination attempt and the fact that the investigation about the mysterious aiding man wasn't moving they have to return to Teito, Yoneda was worried about them. Maria is displeased by the news but accept because it is an order, what she truly wants is to know more about that man and the blonde little girl.

Kaede shares the feeling but she knows that unless that man presents himself they won't find anything, she discovered that the assassin with a child was a figure wrapped in respect, fear and silence, no one ever survived when facing him and the few that have contact with him doesn't say anything about his identity or even a hint to where find him.

The duo leaves their bedrooms and walk to the lobby with their luggage, Maria looks around and wonders why the lobby was so empty. Realization hits Maria when she recalls why they are leaving their visit earlier; it was too late because a large group of armed men runs out of the doors leading to the employees only area, restaurant and bar.

Maria curses her situation knowing that she can't react because she is surrounded, outnumbered and out armed. She can sense the horrid premonition of what those men will do with them and wonders if she should try to react to spare them of that horrible fate.

Maria is spared of that decision when the blocked doors of the hotel are forcibly opened by a blast, the group of men shoot at the door ignoring the inability to locate a target because of the smoke. A canister flies out of the cloud of dust and lands near of the group of soldiers closer to the door.

An explosion fires red hot shrapnel on the formation of men ripping them into bloody pieces, the explosion is followed by many shots from the cloud and the fall of more of the armed men, Maria pulls her revolver and pull Kaede to the elevator knowing that it would give more protection than staying on their current location.

Maria can hear the sound of the shots and an occasional sound of bullets ricocheting on metal, knowing the layoff of the lobby she knows what is causing the ricochet. "He is here!" Maria shouted to Kaede to be heard above the roar of the bullets. "Who is where?!" Kaede asked confused.

The dust clears while Benji enters on the lobby ignoring the bullets bouncing on his armor; Benji pauses his barrage of bullets and calmly reloads his assault rifle not worried about the bullets.

Few men of the attackers' group shout orders to the others, firing in full auto mode makes very hard to them to hit Benji, another factor that Benji knew to exploit on the attackers. It was a know fact that once the order of fire at will is issued everyone with an fully automatic weapon will use the weapon on the full auto mode and that makes nearly impossible to hit a target, especially a lone target; Benji on the other hand knew better and used short bursts, not to mention that he is firing against a large number of targets making hard not to hit anything.

In a very short while everything is quiet again, all the attackers are either dead or dying on the ground, Benji is calmly reloading again while moving deeper inside the lobby, his coat is lightly torn and with bullet holes, but other than that nothing else shows that Benji was in a shooting.

Benji holsters the rifle on an especial holster on his right outer thigh and pulls the guitar case that was strapped on his back, while moving to the elevator. "You are better put that on." Benji says to Kaede and Maria after tossing the case in front of them. "This was just the first wave, there is more coming."

Maria and Kaede look inside the case and see a pair of armored vests. "Hurry up." Benji said looking at a watch on his right wrist. "We don't have much time before the second raid." Maria nods and helps Kaede to put on the vest before putting one herself. "Take the guns too." Benji said to the duo, under the vests there are a pair of Thompsons machine guns with four thirty rounds magazines and a one hundred wound drums for each gun.

"We have to leave this place." Benji told to the duo. "I have a transport ready for you." Maria nods and follows Benji out of the building; she also notices that he takes the empty case before leaving.

A black car is waiting for them on the street. "That is one of Kyoukan industries cars!" Kaede exclaimed recognizing the unique design of the waiting car. "That car isn't available for the general public because is too expensive! Not even the rich dare to buy more than one of them!"

"You don't need more than one." Benji replied loading the case on the trunk of the car, it was one of his work vehicles and he copied and patented the design for his company, after all he didn't only made his living as an assassin, he had to leave a good legacy for Rosa to live with when he is gone. "Get in."

Maria makes Kaede enter on the car, she takes a quick glance to the raven haired driver and decides to trust on the belief of her once again savior on that unknown woman. Benji moves to a parked motorcycle and rides on it holstering the rifle on the side of the engine. 'What kind of assassin would expend so much money to buy vehicles of the Kyoukan industries?"

They drive away while Maria and Kaede try to endure the dark feeling weighting over them, they know that they are the cause of all those deaths. Benji was actually worried about safely taking Kaede and Maria to the safe house, he knows that the trip won't be peaceful; he had learned years earlier that if something could go wrong in a situation like that they will go really wrong.

He fears for the safety of Emi the driver of the car with Maria and Kaede, Emi is a really good driver and trained hard to master escaping in a car in crowded city streets, but he is aware of the dangers of transporting targeted people, after all many times he was guarding those people and as well being in the other side and killing them even with all the precautions, he did that a lot on his past.

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Benji is laying on the rooftop of a building with a bigger version of his sniper rifle looking thorough the scope lying completely still. "Benji! Benji take the damn shot!" Marcelo shouts thorough the radio to the unmoving sniper. "He will get away if you don't do it now!" Benji continues to ignore the soldier and continues to wait.

Lisa and the others look worried at the screen with the image of a convoy of cars quickly moving away from the intended kill zone, and then suddenly they can hear the deafening shot is heard and two out of the seven cars of the convoy explode in a ball of fire and burning metal.

On top of the building Benji quickly maneuvers the bolt with practiced ease and speed chambering a fresh round and shooting in another car of the convoy.

"He is a monster." One mid forties police officers in the command center murmurs in shock as with only five rounds Benji destroyed seven cars, four of them using one shot. "So general can we keep that rifle?" Marcelo asks to an older man with an army uniform in the command center. "It was the deal, our sniper take down the convoy with it using only two magazines and you would allow recon teams to be equipped with heavy anti-material weapons. Our sniper destroyed the convoy with one magazine."

The general grits his teeth and unwillingly nod, it would be very expensive to arm all the recon teams with anti-tank weapons, it was painful enough for the high ranks to suffer a cut in their wages because the emergency of war rationing and the heavy punishments for embezzlement of government founds by anyone with powers to do so, another war approved law to save founds to be used on the war.

In the rooftop Benji is walking away from the roof, the rifle is now with the stock folded and is strapped on his back along his usual AMW, on his hands is a FN-FAL.

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Benji's bike is hit by a rocket and explodes, inside the car Emi shrieks in horror seeing the explosion and breaks the car few meters behind the burning motorcycle. Benji leaves the fire cursing at his distraction; once again he wonders inwardly why he was recalling his past in past days.

Maria and Kaede are horrified with the fact that Benji survived that blast without anything more serious than rips and burns on his clothes. Benji enters in the car and Emi speeds away knowing that the attackers are near.

Bullets hit the car and bounce away harmlessly thanks to the armor of it, Kaede is shocked with the car, no one have that kind of light armoring in a private vehicle. Benji is readying his guns for the next assault and focus on the streets trying to locate new menaces.

A car speeds out of a side street and for a short while is besides them, but the speed of Benji's car is much higher than the steam car of the attackers not to count that Benji fired against the car's engine making it explode.

Benji slides opens a part of the roof and stands up on his seat and turns to the car and fires a short spray of bullets hitting the passengers. More cars appears and Benji aims at the one leading the pursue; the explosion of the car and the consequent loss of control makes more cars behind it be caught on the accident and being unable to continue the chase.

"I have to admit that he is quite good." Kaede said to Maria in English. "However I really want to know how he is getting his weapons, vehicles, information and whatever armor he is wearing. No one can get this level of equipment and information alone." Maria nods agreeing and wonders if Benji is part of an organization and what are his reasons of protecting them.

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Inside the safe house Benji finally relaxes a little, it was troublesome to lose the pursuers; Benji is unloading his guitar case from the car while Maria and Kaede look around warily. Emi drives away knowing that the car was the target and she should take it to another location then hide far away from it.

"For a while it will be better to stay here." Benji says to the duo. "At the nightfall we will move to another location and then we will arrange for you two to leave Kyoto." "Why you are helping us?" Kaede asks to Benji, while armed she was smart enough to know that her gun would be useless against his armor.

"I really need a reason to do it?" Benji asked casually while walking from the garage to door. "Just the goodness of my heart isn't enough reason?" "Honestly speaking I don't think that there is any goodness in the heart of an assassin, especially one that makes his daughter kill too. " Kaede answers harshly. "You can think anything that you want." Benji replied in the same casual tone. "It is not like I care about what you think of me."

Kaede fumes with his reply, Maria could see that it was the intended effect of his words; Kaede had offended him with her comment about his child.

"Kaede I think that is better if you save your comments about him." Maria advised in a whisper. "He rescued us twice not to mention the fact that he is armed and armored, if he tries to kill us we won't be able to fight back." Kaede unwillingly and angrily nods agreeing, Maria was right; if he was able to survive a blast like the one of a rocket the .45ACP of the Tommy gun would be useless on him.

Maria follows Benji out of the garage and Kaede follows Maria, they enter in an occidental style kitchen and see a dinner table set with tea and snacks. "Help yourselves with anything." Benji said while moving to the living room. "There is more in the refrigerator, the bathroom is in the end of the hall to the left of kitchen, and there are three bedrooms in the second floor."

Maria moves out of the kitchen and studies the living room, it was Spartan decorated with the barely minimal comfort making it clear what it wasn't used for living, on the tops a temporary hideout. Maria places her Tommy in the coffee table in the front of a sofa and looks at Benji.

"I won't ask more than once or force you to answer me." Maria said to him. Benji stops walking and looks at the blonde. "Why you let your daughter follows you on the battlefield?" "Because she needs to learn to protect herself from her enemies." Benji answered in a level tone. "One day I won't be here to protect her and then she will have to fight her own battles because I won't be there to do it for her."

Maria nods understanding; it was enough reason for her. "I thought that much." She said sitting down next to her machine gun. For Maria his answer was enough, she also began fighting when young while much older than Rosa she could understand his reasons while wondering why he is starting it so soon.

'Maybe he is terminally ill with something.' Maria muses while Benji rests the guitar case on a wall and lean against the wall; she observes his movements and wonders what kind of armor he is wearing that allows such movement freedom.

The door of the house bursts open and Benji instantly draws one of his pistols and aims at the door, just years of familiarity with combat allowed Benji to stop the trigger one millimeter away from firing. "ROSA?!" Benji half exclaimed half shouted at his daughter.

The blonde girl cringes with the anger on her father's voice, she could also see that he nearly shot her by mistake because her entrance and knows that it only added to his anger.

"What you are trying to do?!" Benji exclaimed holstering the gun and walking towards the girl. "You want to get yourself killed by accident?!" "I wanted to see you "I wanted to see you…" Rosa replied meekly, Benji's anger faded, at least most of it he was still very angry because she disobeyed him and nearly got herself killed, by him of all the people.

Benji takes a deep breath to clear his mind, he could see that Rosa was now regretting her actions because he harshly scolded her and is in the verge of tears because his disapproval of her actions. Benji sighs inwardly and wonders what to do. "I will ground you later." Benji said in a serious tone. "You can forget all the treats that you usually have for a long time."

Rosa nods sadly; she was expecting that when seeing his reaction. "Come here baka musume." Benji said in a gentle tone standing his right hand to Rosa, the little girl cheered immediately and runs to Benji and jumps hugging his waist. Maria smiled inwardly at the scene, it was touching she could tell if it was someone else things would be much different, she also could tell that the baka musume was more like a light reprehension and an statement of an bad action than a real insult.

"Sorry Daddy." Rosa whispered softly with her cheek pressed against his stomach. "Forgive me?" "I forgive you." Benji replied picking Rosa up and lightly kissing her forehead. "But if you do something like this again you won't get out of the hook that easily." Rosa nods happily and hugs him tightly.

Watching everything from the kitchen Kaede sighs in a mix of anger and confusion, she could tell that Rosa loved Benji very much and he loved her too, she couldn't keep the image of the cold blooded killer that she had read on the case files that she managed to find.

Risa bursts in the living room panting, Benji smiles under his mask at the teenager. "You really should exercise more if Rosa can outrun you." Benji teased. Risa just continues to try catching her breath and closes the door. "She ran… when I… went fetch… tea…" she said tiredly.

Benji chuckles inwardly at the girl's tiredness and worry, he wasn't going to punish her, Rosa after all was trained in some extent to escape of bad situations it wasn't Risa's fault that Rosa fled from the safety pleasure district.

After a while Risa leaves by Benji's orders, Rosa remains in the safe house with him. Maria and Kaede observe their interaction discretely, they have to admit that Benji was really careful since even after arriving in the house and almost one hour passed he is still with his mask and not showing signs of removing it any time soon, Rosa is leaning against his chest napping contently with a smile on her lips covered with a light sheet covering her small body.

More hours pass and Kaede is nervously pacing around the living room, Maria is carefully checking the machine guns that Benji gave them, the knew that they work but it is a way to be distracted in the long hours of the wait. Maria wouldn't deny being impressed with the fact that Rosa is napping for hours and Benji is sited on an Indian style on the window frame while reading a pocket book that he pulled from one of his pockets.

'For sure they are very used to waiting long hours, but how he manages to stay with that accursed mask for so long?!' Kaede thinks angrily while looking at Benji and Rosa, she is dying to see how Benji looks like but she knows that he won't expose himself for them.

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The night finally arrives and Benji begins to make the arrangements for their departure, Maria is rather unhappy in having to wear a black wig to cover her hair but agrees knowing that her blonde hair sticks out a lot. Kaede is very unwilling to change from her uniform to civilian clothes, but in the end she give in and dresses a pair of black trousers, a white shirt and a long coat.

Rosa is looks at her father not sure of what to do, Benji pulls a bandana from his pocket and ties it on Rosa's hair after carefully tucking all the hair under the black cloth. Rosa doesn't really like to have her hair tied like that preferring it casketing from the cloth, but she knows that for a while she should bear it.

Maria and Kaede hide their machine guns under their own coats while Benji slings the guitar case on his back and holds Rosa's right hand with his left hand. He turns off the light and they leave the house to the designed meeting point from where Maria and Kaede will finally leave Kyoto.

Benji is tense, years of constants assassination and a war on his past added to his recent training made Benji very aware of battles and he developed an animal sixth sense able to tell him when hell would break loose.

"Something wrong?" Maria asked noticing how tense Benji is. "The streets are too empty, it is too quiet and peaceful." Benji answered looking around warily. "Something is wrong."

Maria looks around and notices that other than them no one else is on the streets, it is completely deserted, even the houses that should be with the lights on are with the lights off, it was too early to everyone be sleeping.

Benji hurries the pace making everyone follow, he enters in an alley making them follow. The alley is dark and has a good cover with only two entrances. "Stop moving." Benji whispered and the women stop.

They strain their hearing and they can hear the sound of steps. "We were found." Benji whispered reading his machine pistol and holding Rosa's belt with his left hand, knowing what he is doing Rosa holds tightly on his arm. "We will make a break through on that side, the meeting point isn't far."

Maria and Kaede nods understanding and ready themselves for the run. Benji throws a smoke bomb in one of the entrances and run to the clear side knowing that the enemy will fire at the smoke.

The trio runs and they see a group of soldiers surprised with their presence; Maria, Benji and Kaede fire at them not stop running. The group falls before even firing back. Knowing that their position was revealed they run even faster.

Benji is the first to turn a corner and see two lines of soldiers in firing positions, before they fired Benji managed to turn and tackle Maria and Kaede back to the safety of the corner.

Countless bullets hit the sidewalk and the wall of the building shattering brick and cement. Benji pulls the guitar case and opens it, inside it is filled with weapons and grenades. "Stay behind me near the wall." Benji said to Rosa, she nods and obeys after her father releases her. Benji grabs two large grenades and pull the pins before throwing them on the lines of soldiers.

Two loud explosions fill the air, debris and body parts rain down while Benji closes the case and signal them to run. Maria, Kaede and Rosa obey with Benji tailing the line shouldering the case.

Kaede tries hard to not be sick seeing the lake of charred blood and bodily parts on their path, she is shocked in not seeing any reaction in Rosa; for the little girl mutilated corpses, blood and death was usual. Benji knew that part of the reason was that he carried her around in his jobs in her earlier years, the other part of the reason that Benji never shared to anyone is the fact that Rosa born in the middle of death. After all that he experienced Benji couldn't just rule out that as a possible reason for Rosa not caring about death and corpses.

Two rockets hit Benji square in the back while a third hits the case. Benji is engulfed by flames and smoke. "DADDY!!!" Rosa shouted stopping and trying to run to him. Maria holds the child before she dives on the pillar of flames.

"He can't survive that." A male army major says walking out from a building. "No one survives three rockets." Maria levels her machine gun at the man. "You should know that is useless." The man said to the Russian while pointing to certain rooftops. "I have three rocket soldiers in the top of the buildings here plus two snipers over there."

"That is good to know." Benji's voice came out of the fire pillar, Benji walks out from it, his clothes are mostly gone because of the fire, the guitar case and the weapons inside were lost in the blast. "I lost my reactive armor but I am still able to fight. A good warrior knows how to minimize the damage."

Large platings of armor fall from Benji's body while he levels his pistols to the rooftops and fire. "That is impossible!" the major shouts in shock. "Nothing can stand anti-tank rockets!"

Benji removes his cracked helmet and looks at the major. "The light plating that you call tank armor is much lighter than my heavy armor." Benji said leveling his pistols at the major. "Either way you won't be able to stand another shot." The major said in a sneering tone. "Sniper three aim at the child!"

"Rosa!" Benji exclaimed one second before a large muzzle flash surges in one of the rooftops, Benji runs to Rosa and the time seems to stop to the tall brunette.

End of the chapter six:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that have read and reviewed and to everyone that is reading this story.

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Benji drops the pistols while running and draws Alexis's sword and slashes downwards trying to deflect the bullet. However the bullet smashes against his armor and pierces it, Benji were able to protect rose.

His hair covers his eyes as his head leans forward a little and blood seeps from his lips. "Daddy!" Rosa screamed running to him on tears, this time Maria couldn't stop the little blonde from running. "Daddy! Daddy!"

"That is a very nice hole! Certainly those woman's rounds are the best! Money well expend!" the major crackled seeing blood oozing from the hole on the breastplate and the splatter on the asphalt. "Absolute certain kill!"


	7. Sacrifice

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. Some anime or manga characters might show up in the story I also don't own then. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

New feature in the story:

I will be using a series of ……… to mark scene changes and a series of **………** to mark changes from a scene to a flashback and from a flashback to a present time scene.

The use of bold text will be reserved to recollections and flashbacks triggered by one action of a character.

I.e. a character starting a flashback by thinking on the event or speaking about the event of the flashback to other characters, the flashbacks started this way won't be started with the dots but a dot separated flashback most of the times will be a character started flashback as it occurred before on the story with the bold text flashbacks.

Chapter seven: Sacrifice

Kyoto December Twenty First 1925; 10:15 PM

Not wanting to make his sacrifice in vain Maria kills the third sniper by aiming at the direction of the muzzle flash; she knows that the others are dead. "It doesn't matter how many of those pawns you kill." The major sneered. "Your knight is dead; you no longer can defend yourself from my attacks."

"Maybe." Maria said in a cold voice, even being a stranger Maria was deeply affected by the effect that Benji's dead on Rosa. "But I can kill you now." Punctuating her words Maria fires at the major's legs. With satisfaction Maria sees the blood jetting from his wounds while he falls on the ground.

Rosa tries to run to finish off the major but a strong hand stops her. "You aren't going to do it." Benji's voice now hoarse said while he grabs Rosa by her collar. "How it is possible?!" Kaede exclaimed in total shock. "Lots of armor I know that most people try hit the heart, the punch was so strong that I fainted a little." Benji replied.

"Daddy!" Rosa exclaimed joyfully hugging his waist. "Sorry for worrying you." Benji said ruffling her hair. "Think as payback for worrying me." Maria picks up Benji's pistol. "How a second!" Maria exclaimed seeing Benji's face. "YOU!"

"Have been a while Miss Tachibana." Benji said with a smile. "Nice to see that you remember me." "What is wrong Maria?" Kaede asked in a worried tone. "You two know each other?" "He is that father that I told you about." Maria explained to Kaede. "The one that we met occasionally in Teito."

"You can scold me later now we have more pressing issues." Benji said pointing to the major. "We have information to extract." Maria nods and hands to him his pistols. They drag the major after knocking him out and leave the area not knowing how many soldiers were hidden there.

Benji tells them to enter in a waiting car, he can see Emi sited there worried and the relief in seeing them. "To the base." Benji said entering in the car after they tossed the major on the trunk. Emi nods and drives away; Kaede doesn't hide the fact that she is happy in discovering the base of whatever organization that Benji is part of.

Later Kaede stares at the mansion in horror, she was confused when the car drove them to the pleasure district, she even thought that was a good hideout but she never considered that they would enter on a leisure mansion, adding to her shock a group of women worriedly waits them.

"We have an information source in the trunk." Benji says to Tayu. "Get his wounds treated and get him ready to be extracted." "Immediately." Tayu replied ordering two girls to obey that command. "We need to treat you too; I can see the hole in your armor and the worry in Rosa-chan's face."

"Sanae and Mariko have already prepared the room." Tayu continued in a tone that shows that she won't accept a refusal. "Ai prepared a room for the guests." "This way please." Ai said to Maria and Kaede, not seeing how to refuse they follow the girl. Rosa follows Benji and Tayu to the treatment room.

"This might be troublesome." Tayu said seeing the state of the armor, the explosions and high impacts damaged the locks. "At least we also foresaw issues like this in the design." She commented pulling a pair of pliers from her medical bag and reaching to Benji's left side.

She grabs a small dent in there and pulls revealing two long metal bars. "It is a good thing that this isn't damaged." Tayu commented. "You seem to have overdone this time. You haven't even finished healing the last wound before getting a new one." "It is not like I had much of a choice here, they used a round from Maiko." Benji replied while Tayu removes his armor and his under shirts. "At least I was able to damage the bullet, if the shape was the usual one I wouldn't survive."

"From what I can see I can only agree." Tayu said seeing the damage in the armor. "This lump is it right?" "Yes." Benji answered knowing what she is talking about; it is a lump on his back in the height of his heart. Tayu picks a scalpel and cuts over it, the large projectile falls on the mats with the end of the cut.

"It was deflected by the ribs; the armor prevented it from getting out but gave you a very ugly cut in your entire left side over that rib." Tayu commented seeing the large cut no longer bleeding. "You have the devil's luck and strong ribs."

"I do." Benji said knowing that it is true. "I will clean and stitch it." Tayu said pulling a large piece of gauze and alcohol from her bag. Rosa looks in silence knowing that it is her fault that her father is hurt like that. "Come here." Benji said to the depressed little girl while patting on his lap.

Rosa obeys actually lying across his knees expecting to be punished. "If I was going to do that I would tell you." Benji said easily lifting Rosa and sitting her on his knees, Benji lightly kisses Rosa's lips. "I love you, that is why I protect you, I am not angry or not blain you for it. You are my little girl and I won't let anyone hurt you if I can stop them."

Rosa lithe up and hugs Benji's neck tightly, crying happily because he doesn't hate her. Rosa's biggest fear wasn't corpses, the dark, pain or anything like that; her biggest fear is being hated by her father. The thought of being hated by him filled her with fear, despair, sadness, loneliness and hate for herself.

Benji lightly kisses her forehead and caresses Rosa's soft hair. He knows that Rosa got really scared on that night; it would be a precious lesson for her, now she understands very well what could happen if she disobeys him. Benji tried to be the best father that he could be avoiding to do what his father did to him, but at the same time that Benji was a loving parent he was also a strict parent with Rosa's limits, Rosa knew very well that when he said no he wouldn't budge if she tossed tantrums, she would receive few slaps on her behind for those; Benji punished Rosa when wrong and praised when right, in few events instead of a praise she gained a prize but she knew that those kind of rewards are rare and cherish them.

Hours later Benji and Tayu are in the interrogation room, a polite way of calling the torture room, mostly it wasn't used they usually extract information from willingly sources, that room was mostly used for punishments and in rare cases extract information of unwilling sources.

Benji doesn't really like to rely in torture to extract information but he is aware that there is time that is it the only way, besides he wants to extract some revenge on that major for ordering his sniper to shoot Rosa.

Tayu was there since she finished with Benji; Benji and Rosa after the treatment slept a bit, Rosa was very unwilling to let him go even to sleep. Benji had to admit that Tayu was really good in torturing; her medical degree certainly pays off in how to give most pain in the less damaging way.

The major is currently telling everything to them, as usual Tayu is taking notes of the information, and Benji is there just as formality. Maria is by the door hearing everything, she didn't like the methods either but as a soldier she understands the value of torture in war as ways of obtain information; Kaede didn't had the stomach to watch.

When the major tells everything he is allowed to rest a little. "Dispose him." Benji tells to Tayu. "Yes my lord." She replied with a small smile. "What about Maiko?" "Later I deal with her again, it is the second time." Benji said with a frown. "Maiko?" Maria asked confused. "The person that makes the ammo that pierced my armor, I gave the designs for her." Benji answered. "She wasn't to sell them to anyone, she got a little greedy."

Maria nods understanding; it wasn't her problem anyway but the issue of an army colonel trying to destroy the hanagumi was a very serious issue and was her problem, she only wandered why it was also Benji's problem; they barely knew each other, she didn't deny that she had fun around him in Teito, as all the other hanagumi girls back then just loved to see that little infant so cheerful and full of life.

"Why?" Maria asked while Benji walks away from the interrogation room. "Why you helped us?" "I wanted to." Benji answered in a casual tone. "Price of a past mistake." "What mistake?" Maria asked seriously, for some reason those words made her very tense. "When asked I refused to lead you." Benji answered in the same tone. "I didn't want more worries or responsibilities other than being a single father with no experience at all."

"You were asked? By who?" Maria asked surprised, even not wanting to believe that someone would refuse be part of the hanagumi and defend Teito she could understand why he would refuse that. "Fujieda Ayame." Benji answered holding his left side, the moment are making his wound ache.

Maria bites her lower lip to not do or say anything stupid, Ayame was a painful subject for everyone in the hanagumi; she died after she changed sides to be with Yamazaki. "You killed uncountable people with your infant daughter with you." Maria said in a shaken voice. "Why you refused to join the hanagumi? It would be much safer and a much healthier environment for her."

"Maybe yes, maybe no. You don't know that for sure." Benji answered in a gentle tone, he can see that Maria is in the verge of something. "I don't have regrets in how I raised my daughter, she is a lovely little girl, cheerful, bright, lovingly, smart and healthy."

"She kills." Maria hissed trying to control her anger, her conflicted feelings over Rosa's life combined with feelings Ayame's death and Maria's own past mixed together making hard for her to tell apart what her past is and what was her feelings. "She kills others with out even hesitating; she knows a gun better than she knows toys. She saw uncountable corpses and battlefields. That isn't life for a little girl."

"I won't deny that." Benji said in a serious tone. "But she isn't a normal little girl, even before she was born she had enemies, right now they think that she is dead but when older and she begins to look as her mother they will discover that she is alive and will try to kill her, that is why I take her with me, she needs to know how to fight by herself or she might die in the day that I am gone."

"That isn't an excuse." Maria replied. "She shouldn't be holding guns, she shouldn't know the scent of blood and corpses, she shouldn't know how to kill; she should be playing, living far from death and blood." "If I haven't failed in my past she wouldn't know." Benji said in a somber tone, his failure was the reason that Rosa is a little assassin in training.

Maria tackles Benji and draws her Enfield. Benji reacts fast and blocks the hammer with his thumb, his next moment surprises Maria, he headbutts her in the forehead stunning her, Benji grabs Maria's collar and tosses her on the floor hard with a judo strike.

Maria gasps in pain while trying to recover her breath that was lost because of the severe impact, she landed hip first and she was feeling pain not only there but in her back, legs and head.

Benji is clutching his left side knowing that he broke his stitches with that stunt. Benji kneels and grabs Maria's revolver and presses her down using his left knee over her left shoulder, not only pinning her down but giving her pain. "You don't know anything about me or Rosa." Benji said pointing the pistol to the bruise on Maria's forehead, there is a small cut there from the impact that is staining her hair with few thin blood streams. "You don't know our lives, you don't know our enemies and you don't know our reasons."

Benji activates the leaver and opens the chamber of the gun. "I don't know what enraged you so much but don't judge us by your standards." Benji said while the bullets fall around Maria's head. Benji lightly places the empty revolver over Maria's stomach and stands up. "Our lives are different than yours."

After those words Benji walks away leaving Maria behind, she clenches her hands in anger at herself for snapping, he wasn't the guilty one there she knows it. The emotions that she tried so hard to suppress overflowed her when thinking of so many events and she snapped.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sister Isabel looks at Benji worried, he had left late on the previous night with out telling her where he was going or why, he just asked her to watch Rosa while he was gone, for long hours she waited in worry while Rosa slept, when Benji finally arrived he was nearly dead with three very large and deep cuts on his chest, his clothes were soaked in blood and he was using a sword as a support to walk.

For her it was nothing shorter than a miracle that Benji didn't died, the doctor had cleaned and stitched the three cuts, they were close of the other but far enough to be stitched properly, they were bone deep and the doctor mentioned that he was lucky that the cuts couldn't cut the bones.

Benji is lying on his bed with bandages on his chest, few thin bloodstains reveal the location and direction of the cuts; it start on his left shoulder and move diagonally and down on his chest and ended under his last right side ribs. Rosa is restlessly staying on Isabel's arms, she wants her father and as much Isabel wants to allow Rosa to be with him she knows that he needs to recover.

"He can't hold you now." Isabel said to Rosa in a gentle tone. "Your daddy is hurt and need to recover, please bear for a while." Rosa pouts and chirps unhappily. 'She is too smart.' She thinks seeing how Rosa stopped moving look at Benji with what seem to be worry.

Two days passes with Benji drifting from sleep and being wake, Sister Isabel working hard to nurse Benji back to health and take care of Rosa. She wants to know why Benji was hurt but she can tell that he won't tell her. After one week Benji is able to stand and walk around if he moves carefully and not do anything that could break the stitches.

Rosa is happily napping on his arms, Benji is sited on his bed after lulling Rosa to sleep, in his current state hold her when standing was dangerous for both of them. A soft knock in the door disturbs the quietness of the room. Sister Isabel enters after hearing the permission, she still isn't used in seeing Benji only with the bandages and his pants, he said that was too hot to be with a shirt on with the bandages, but the lack of the shirt exposed the countless scars covering his body, the larger concentration of them are in his left arm that is covered on them from the tip of his fingers up to the shoulder.

"Someone here desires to speak with you." Sister Isabel said when she could avert her eyes from his arm. "She said that is important." "Who is the visitor?" Benji asked in a serious tone, he didn't knew anyone there and he nearly died in order to make Rosa's enemy think that he was dead and that he wouldn't move. "A major of the imperial army." Isabel replied seriously. "She said that wish to talk with you about an important issue."

Benji only knew one person that could fulfill the description. "Rosa is sleeping tell her to come later." Benji said to the sister. "It is the first time in a while that she fell in sleep like this and she won't like being disturbed." "I won't take long." Ayame said from the door.

Benji stays in silence knowing that Ayame was skilled enough to get there with out being noticed and that sister Isabel most likely took Ayame until the hall before asking to wait if he would receive her visit. Benji recognizes the look on Ayame's eyes; he had seem it before many times on his past; that meeting wouldn't be short.

Benji gestures to Isabel walk closer and hands her Rosa before standing up. Rosa noticing the movement and the change of her sleeping place wakes crying, Benji quickly sooths Rosa; the infant want to return to her father's arms but stays quiet on the sister's arms.

Benji puts on a shirt and takes the fukuro with Alexis's sword. "Stay here with Rosa." Benji says to the sister. "I will talk with the major." Isabel nods and sits on his bed while gently rocking the infant.

Benji and Ayame walk out of the church's living quarters and are standing inside the chapel. "What you want?" Benji asked in a serious tone. "Won't even let me introduce myself?" Ayame asked in a casual tone. "In case that you didn't notice it is the middle of the night and I was taking care of my daughter. You interrupted her sleep and she gets cranky when she doesn't get enough sleep." Benji replied not really in the mood to be talking to her.

"I am Fujieda Ayame, major of the imperial army." Ayame said deciding to speed things up before he decides not to listen to what she has to say. "And I am here at this time because I am not even sure if you would be here if I waited to the morning."

"I am living here for the past four months." Benji said interrupting Ayame. "I am wounded and I am not planning to leave anytime soon." Ayame sighs inwardly Benji was awfully aggressive towards her.

"I know that a little under four months ago you all by yourself killed a small biped kouma." Ayame said in a serious tone hoping that a direct approach would make things easier. "It was recorded by one of the security cameras around Ginza, it is part of detection system, it helps us to confirm the identity of the enemy."

Ayame smiles inwardly seeing that Benji is listening, the fact that he is now sited in one of the benches with the sword still wrapped on the protection cloth on his knees is a bit unnerving, but he was listening. "Normal people can't hurt koumas." Ayame continued. "To be able to kill a kouma a person must have a reasonable level of spirit energy, because of that fact I am here today. This city need your help, you are one of the very few that can kill koumas and any other evil creatures that might attack. I am part of a group created to protect this city and kill any demon that threatens the city; I am here to ask you to join us. You won't be alone; you will be leading a group of young women with similar powers to yours, our group will provide you with housing, equipment and anything else that you might need, it is a contract that will last at the very least twenty years."

Benji knew that she was going to offer him; he suspected that sooner or later after the kouma incident she would look for him, he sighs tiredly. "Of course you will be well paid and we are willing to cover also the expenses of your daughter, not only while you are contracted to us, if you join us we will provide her with the best schools until her graduation, and if she is interested we will even pay for her college for any degree that she might desire." Ayame added. "We will give the best care that you can possible imagine to you and your family."

It was temptating, Benji wouldn't deny; Rosa would live a life worth of princess based solely on Ayame's words, the stability would be good for Rosa but Benji is aware of the dangers of the theater and the hanagumi. Benji's wounds ache while he breathes and he remembers of his current condition, he wasn't skilled enough to defeat Rosa's and Alexis's enemy.

He sworn an oath for Alexis in the night that she died and months later to her grave, he was going to punish the person that ordered her death, staying in the theater with the hanagumi wouldn't help him to become more skilled, only with his life in the edge of death in the harsh path of combat and assassination he would be able to become stronger than his enemy.

"Your offer is generous but I refuse." Benji said in a serious tone. "What?!" Ayame exclaimed shocked, it was the very first time that someone refused her offer; Maria, Kanna, Iris, Kohran and Sumire they all accepted the offer and joined the hanagumi, Benji the prospective leader of the team the one person that she really didn't wanted to hear a refusal refused her offer.

"Why?!" Ayame asked in hopes of finding a way to convince him. "Rosa and I have an enemy, a very powerful enemy that wants us dead, that person killed Rosa's family." Benji answered in a serious tone. "I am nothing more than Rosa's sword and shield until she is able to fight by herself or our enemy is dead by my feet. I wasn't sharp enough to defeat our enemy, if I accept your offer I will get even duller. I need to be sharper, I need to be deadlier, and I need to be stronger. Your offer would only make me rust and Rosa would eventually die, I can't accept your offer."

Ayame doesn't understand his explanation. "I am sorry if I disappointed you but I am just an assassin, you need heroes." Benji said using the sword as a cane to stand up. "My duty to my Rosa is more important to me than the city." "So you will let the city die to save yourself?" Ayame asked with her voice shaking in anger. "This city won't die." Benji said in a casual tone. "Your hanagumi will get a good leader; I am just bad company to those ladies."

Ayame is shocked with his words; it wasn't just the content but the certain of his words as if he knew for sure that the city wouldn't die. "It doesn't matter." Ayame said to Benji. "Your past doesn't matter, I have an assassin in the team already, she wanted to change and accepted my offer, she said that wanted to protect instead of kill."

"It is the same thing." Benji said walking away. "You protect one another die; you take one life to protect another. It doesn't matter how beautiful you make it sound the core is that, killing one to protect others. You can't protect everyone."

"Those words are true?" Isabel asked to Benji after he crosses the chapel's doors. "You are really an assassin?" "I am a soldier there isn't much of a difference." Benji answered taking Rosa who eagerly reaches for him. "Rosa is really your daughter?" Isabel asked not letting go of the child. "Yes she is." Benji answered in a gentle tone. "You won't share the story with me?" she said letting Benji take Rosa.

"You don't deserve this cross." Benji said gently kissing the sister's forehead. "You are too kind and pure." Isabel stays in silence for the first time realizing that her devotion had isolated her from the dirtiness of the world, seeing the father and child that she came to know so well in the passed months in a different light her faith is shaken by the mysterious cross that Benji wants to carry all by himself and the strong and unshaken love of the infant to her father.

Rosa's happiness is clearly visible on her small gestures and noises, Sister Isabel can easily see how much the child loves her father, she wonders if it is reciprocated, the affection was there, but as Benji said she now could see what she thinks that is duty to the child.

She doesn't want to believe that Benji doesn't love Rosa, all the times that she had seem him lulling the child with soft songs that spoke of love in various forms, longing and bittersweet sadness, the gentle smiles that he gives to the infant whenever she could see.

"If I give up everything you would share with me?" Isabel said walking to him and removing her veil and revealing her long honey colored hair. "You shouldn't give up your faith for me sister." Benji said turning to her. "I don't want to see you lost in the path that you took."

"What about you?" she asked looking at him. "How you won't be lost in your path?" "I don't have a path I only have a goal, my path will be any that leads me to that goal." Benji answered with a dark smile. "And this path isn't fit for someone as kind as you are."

"What makes it fit for Rosa?" Isabel asked seriously. "Because it is the path that she was born on." Benji answered in the same tone. "My path is hers because it has to be like this. If I try to take Rosa in another path she will die. On this path is the one that will allow her to live."

"Why such a pure child has to walk a path like that?" she asked on tears. "Because she is forced by our enemy." Benji answered gently wiping her tears. "All that I can do is guide her on that path, showing her this path so when she is ready she can walk on this path. Hopefully I will be able to remove the obstacle that blocks all the other paths in her life before Rosa is too deep on his path. This is my hope."

"I will pray and hope for that." Isabel said crying. "I will pray everyday that the Lord aids you in your path." "I appreciate it." Benji said with a smile, his other hope is that sister Isabel won't suffer by knowing more than what she does.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hours passed quietly, Kaede was informed by Maria about the plans to finish off the group that was attacking them; because the loss of the major the other soldiers would meet in a specific point and stay there for twenty four hours waiting for any other survivors and strays to arrive so they would leave. The plan to deal with them is simple, wait them to be inside and implode the building using tactical charges; Benji had already dispatched a team to do mine the building and stake out the building.

Kaede didn't like the idea of killing so many soldiers like that, but she knew that they were trying to kill her and Maria and that many other soldiers were killed to prevent their assassination. The only thing that improved Kaede's mood is that hers and Maria's luggage were taken to the mansion after the shooting in the hotel. Maria had tended the cut on her forehead and is thinking about everything and sorting her feelings about the incident and everything that made her snap.

Kyoto December Twenty Third 1925; 6:32 PM

The news of a large explosion in a government building is all around the media of Kyoto, as well the discovery of the corpse of a army major holding a detonator in a crashed car not far from the destroyed building.

It was easy to Maria and Kaede see how well the tracks were covered, by making the major the likely person of the bombing and crashing his car ended the investigation there as well killed the remnants of the group trying to destroy the hanagumi. They were shocked with the effectiveness of Benji and his group.

Benji is calmly reading in the garden while Rosa is doing her homework next to him. The two women can't believe in the absolute lack of remorse of the duo. For security reasons the departure of the two were stalled for a short while so the information network can be sure that no other attempts will occur. Kaede loudly voiced her displeasure but in the end accepted her condition.

End of the chapter seven:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that have read and reviewed and to everyone that is reading this story.


	8. Father and daughter

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. Some anime or manga characters might show up in the story I also don't own then. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

New feature in the story:

I will be using a series of ……… to mark scene changes and a series of **………** to mark changes from a scene to a flashback and from a flashback to a present time scene.

The use of bold text will be reserved to recollections and flashbacks triggered by one action of a character.

I.e. a character starting a flashback by thinking on the event or speaking about the event of the flashback to other characters, the flashbacks started this way won't be started with the dots but a dot separated flashback most of the times will be a character started flashback as it occurred before on the story with the bold text flashbacks.

Chapter eight: Father and daughter

Kyoto December Twenty fifth 1925; 5:12 AM

Rosa yawns sleepily leaning against Benji's legs, her right hand is firmly but comfortably held by Benji's left hand, Rosa is wearing light blue dress, ankle high boots and a light blue jacket, her hair is neatly tied with a ribbon but her face show that she is very sleepy.

Benji smiles looking at his daughter trying to sleep while standing, it was way earlier her usual waking time. It is the time of the first train to Teito leaves; it is a long travel and would be better done in the early hours of the morning when the day is cooler than in the afternoon and part of the night.

Benji is wearing his usual clothes, on his back is a new guitar case tied on a rather large hiking backpack and on his right hand is a large suitcase. "I still don't see why you two are going with us." Kaede said to Benji, she was a little displeased in traveling with the assassin even knowing that he has a strong spirit energy.

"Because of you two things are a little hot here so I will be going to Teito while the dust settles." Benji answered putting the suitcase down and picking Rosa up, he adjusts her on his left arm and shoulder and instantly she is sleeping; Benji picks the suitcase and looks at the approaching train.

"Not to mention that is our job to verify if his spirit energy is high enough to pilot a koubu." Maria added in a serious tone. "I know but I am not comfortable in traveling with him and that guitar case!" Kaede whispered pointing to the gun loaded case. "He isn't going to use them unless it is needed." Maria replied. "It is the same of me walking with my revolver."

Kaede sighs defeated and wraps herself tightly on her coat, it was really, really cold on that morning. The train stops on the station they board it and walk to their cabin; there Benji gently lays Rosa in the seat and stores the suitcase on the luggage carrier followed by the guitar case. Benji sits by the window next to Rosa and slowly moves her so her head is resting on his lap and her legs are over the seat; softly caressing Rosa's hair; using his free hand Benji pulls a small book from his jacket pocket and opens it.

Maria and Kaede put their own suitcases on the other carrier and sit facing Benji. Maria pulls a book from her pocket and opens it resuming her reading. Kaede looks at the window not in the mood of reading or chatting.

As the train leaves the station Kaede looks at Benji who is reading his book while his other hand continues to caress Rosa's hair, for the time she noticed many dark and lighter lines on the back of his hands, some running to his wrists, others moving to his palms by the sides or even between the fingers, lastly some even on his fingers.

She wonders what those are and pays more attention to the few area of uncovered skin on him, she can see a bit of his neck and there was more of those lines there, even on the tender flesh of his throat. 'What are those?' Kaede wonders not seeing those lines on his face. 'Tattoos? Maybe something tribal or ritual of his homeland?'

Maria notices that Kaede finally noticed Benji's scars; Maria had noticed them when she heard the information from the major behind the attacks. She was aware that a soldier suffers wounds and gets scarred in battle an assassin isn't different, Maria had even noticed the darker patches of skin over all his finger knuckles and knows that those are from punching; Kanna wears padded protection over her knuckles to prevent those kind of scarring.

Maria thought of herself lucky for never getting wounded in combat and gaining any scars; with her time on the hanagumi Maria began to take more care of herself and liked of her skin smooth and fair as it is. She wonders if Benji and other men think differently about scars and their skin; but she isn't close enough to ask him about his scars and how he feels about them, even disliking them scars are permanent and will never go away, time don't erase them it just diminish them.

Not only the scars on Benji's hands became visible to them but they could also see the difference on the skin color of Benji and Rosa, Benji's skin was once a tanned color because his bloodline and his birth in a tropical country, but with time and his life in the shadows of the society that healthy color faded to a pale color; Rosa's skin is a beautiful white color by birth and the sun lightly tinted her skin in a shade that made it just more beautiful, making her look just like a living doll.

With more time and calmness they start to list the differences between father and child; Benji's eyes are blue, an very unusual shade of blue that they only saw in lightnings, Rosa's eyes are emerald green as Maria's being one of the reasons that Maria was teased by the others when they first met Benji and Rosa.

Benji's hair is as black as the blackest night, it was straight until reached his neck and then changed to wavy giving his hair volume and luster that many women felt jealous of, even tightly tied with bands or the cloth sleeve his hair still showed some of the volume, only losing it when wet. Rosa's hair is blonde with the shade somewhere between a sandy and platinum blonde, it is smooth and have a good volume.

Benji's eyes and Rosa's eyes are different, just the subtle Japanese traces in them was similar but not equal, as the duo look closer more and more the differences between the two added to the list. They are aware of the possibility that Rosa might have taken out her mother, but they couldn't even see a single feature of Benji on her, black hair is a rather dominant trait that Rosa should have inherited from him so was a darker skin color, yet Rosa's hair was blonde and her skin pearly white.

Maria decides to stop wondering, it would be impolite to ask Benji about Rosa's late mother when she doesn't know him well enough; for sure is a sensitive subject for him like his scars or why he first started as an assassin, she is sure that before that he was a soldier, maybe even the leader of unit; the leading of the organization in Kyoto was flawless, even the cover up was perfect; it even worked to gather information.

Kaede is more curious than Maria but also more afraid of him, for her Benji was dangerous and should be treated as a barrel of nitroglycerine; Kaede feared in doing something that would lead him to a killing spree.

Benji noticed the scrutiny but didn't reacted to it, after all he was used to that, he is a Brazilian with one third of Japanese blood, one quarter Lebanese and everything else of the mix that is the Brazilian blood of a European descendant family; it showed on his mixed features, not counting the fact that he is taller than mostly everyone in the country; because of that Benji was used in being the center of attention in a room unless he masks his presence, in those moments no one noticed him even towering over them.

He was used in being discriminated by most of people because his height and features, Rosa was too used to that because her hair and occidental features; it was part of their normal lives there, it was true that there was people that discriminated them but they also knew many that didn't care about it.

Hours pass quietly with very few words traded by the trio; eventually Kaede picked her own traveling reserved book and started to read. Around nine in the morning Rosa sleepily sits over her legs and rubs her eyes. Kaede and Maria chuckle lightly at the cuteness of the girl.

(Daddy I want to go to the bathroom.) Rosa said to Benji in a language that the duo doesn't understand. It was Portuguese, for Rosa that language was as natural to her as Japanese; she only use when she wants to say something to him that she doesn't want anyone else to understand; even sleepy Rosa was aware that she wasn't alone with him.

"Okay sweetie." Benji said pocketing his book. "You walk or I carry you?" "Carry." Rosa answered standing her arms to him. Benji easily picket her up and walks out of the cabin. Maria and Kaede stay in silence knowing that sooner or later Benji will return, where else he would go especially with his baggage there.

Around ten minutes later Benji returns with Rosa, Rosa is wrapped in Benji's jacket and it reaches to her ankles. The duo could understand why Rosa is with it, the train was a bit chilly, it is the middle of the winter and the train is old, it lacked a good internal heating, for a child as Rosa the cold is much colder than is for them the fact that Rosa was also sleeping until a short while also made her colder.

Benji sits back on his seat and Rosa climbs on the seat, this time she wraps herself tightly with her father's coat even buttoning it up before leaning against him and wrapping his right arm over her shoulders to warm her more, Rosa sits over her legs in a comfortable position and in few minutes she is sleeping again.

"She is usually like that?" Maria asked in a light tone. "I mean that sleepy?" "No." Benji answered casually. "Normally she is very active on this time of the day, knowing that and that she isn't really able to sit here for the long hours of the trip I kept her up last night, we played and I made her have fun, run and spend a lot of energy knowing that she would be sleepy today."

"And why you aren't tired?" Maria asked not noticing a sign of sleepiness on him. "I am used to short hours of sleep and not getting sleep for long periods of time." Benji answered in a light tone. "We got three hours of sleep before leaving with that much I am fine until the nighttime. Rosa will be sleepy most of the trip, in this way she won't wander around more than the needed, she might get hurt because the sudden movements of the wagons."

Maria nods understanding, it also prevented Rosa of maybe disturbing other passengers, to a child quiet and seated for long periods might be impossible with out the child being on sleep, Maria doesn't know Rosa well to know if was needed or not, it was better trust on Benji's judgment on that; Benji's reason are simpler than that, the trip was long and boring, eventually Rosa would grow tired of looking at the window and as an very active child she would want to play, in the train that would be impossible, by making her tired it would lessen Rosa's activity during the day and when she slept enough she wouldn't be so active and would be quieter.

Kaede wondered why Benji wasn't suffering from the cold, she was wearing heavy clothes because of the cold, Maria was just with her usual attire including her black fur coat; the air was chilly enough to see their breath.

"Why you aren't getting a new coat or something?" Kaede asked to him. "It is a little cold but I suffered worse in my trainings, water is way much colder than air and steals much more heat." Benji answered. "Besides Rosa is quite warm too and I am not weak enough to get a cold with any chiller breeze. You Japanese seem to get colds with a breeze."

Kaede stays in silence knowing that most of the time if she is careless with weather and covering herself she gets a cold and stays in bed. "So from where you are from?" Maria asked now that Benji opened the door for nationalities. "South, more exactly Brazil." Benji answered casually.

The duo doesn't really know much about Brazil, they heard of some of the political changes and the chances of live for immigrants but nothing really large or meaningful. Benji wasn't really surprised, on that time Brazil wasn't as famous as it will be, Carmen Miranda wasn't famous yet and the world would still know about Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian people, places and things. The Christ the Redeemer statue was still being built.

Even Benji doesn't know much about Brazil, he preferred that way so he wouldn't be temptated in changing things that shouldn't be changed and also prevented him from getting involved in the turbulent times that will come.

"But I don't live there for years." Benji said before the duo asked him anything specific. "I also don't keep track of news from there, I have more important worries." Maria notices how he lightly caressed Rosa's shoulder while saying that. "You were exiled?" she asked in a serious tone. "Something like that." Benji replied casually. "They didn't tossed me out I just left."

The conversation ends with the duo deciding to not ask more about why Benji left Brazil, a couple of hours later Rosa wakes again, she yawns while stretching and lightly scratches her hair with her left hand. "I am hungry." She says to Benji, unlike Maria, Kaede and Benji Rosa didn't eat breakfast because she was too sleepy to be hungry.

"Left outer pocket." Benji replied pulling a thin comb from his jacket pocket and lightly combing Rosa's hair that was out of place and lightly tangled because the sleep. Rosa nods lightly and fishes something wrapped on aluminium foil that was on Benji's pocket, she carefully opens one of the sides and smiles widely seeing what she has for breakfast. "Yay! Hotdog!" she exclaimed before taking the first bite. The trio chuckle at Rosa while she cheerfully eats the loaded hotdog.

After a few bites Benji pulls a handkerchief and cleans Rosa's lips and around her mouth that is dirty with ketchup and breadcrumbs. Rosa closes her eyes while her father cleans her. "You don't have to eat that fast." Benji said in a gentle tone. "It isn't going anywhere."

Rosa nods when Benji is done, he carefully folds the handkerchief and pockets it, he pulls a soda bottle from a small bag over the cabin's table, he opens it and hands to Rosa that take few large drinks of it before handing back to him. Benji holds the bottle while Rosa restarts eating her late breakfast.

Kaede and Maria watch rather amused at the scene, it was cute seeing Rosa eating hungrily and enjoying so much her food while Benji makes sure that Rosa won't stain herself or her clothes with the sauce on the hotdog. It was fun seeing very little of Rosa's fingers appearing from the long sleeves of Benji's jacket while she holds the half wrapped hotdog. The much larger jacket fully covers Rosa's body now that she is sited, and from the fact that her legs aren't hanging on the seat she must be sited over her legs, only her head, neck and part of her gloved fingers are exposed.

Kaede wonders if Rosa is sited in the traditional Japanese way or just sited in a lotus position, Rosa back appears to be straight and her posture is flawless. "She was taught Japanese etiquette?" Kaede asked to Benji. "Yes." Benji answered. "Rosa is well mannered and knows etiquette not only Japanese but occidental." Kaede nods understand and wonder what else Rosa was taught.

More hours pass and the train finally arrives in Teito, the group leaves the train. Benji is once again wearing his jacket, Rosa is holding on his hand while more people leave the train.

"I wonder where she is." Kaede said looking around. "I called and told in which train we would leave Kyoto and what time we would arrive here. She is late or what?" "Knowing Tsubaki she must have got caught in traffic somewhere." Maria commented. "What you two are doing?" Kaede asked seeing Benji and Rosa leaving the station. "Walking to our place." Benji answered casually. "I do own an apartment here too."

"You can do that after we get you tested and rule you out of the possibility of joining the defense force." Kaede replied seriously while holding his arm. "And if you aren't ruled out then you two will live in the theater with everyone else."

"Something isn't right." Benji said looking around, Rosa is nervously holding on his hand, moving closer of him. "He is right." Maria said looking around too, it was the same feeling from when she first saw a kouma, for the blonde that was enough evidence that Benji was able to join them even Rosa could, the little girl seemed to be even more sensitive than her father.

"It is large." Rosa whispered to Benji. "Fast…dangerous…it flies…it is getting closer really fast…" Kaede stares at Rosa, the little girl wasn't even looking around, she was with her eyes closed and her face pressed against Benji's left leg. "How big?" Benji asked to his daughter while gently caressing her hair. "Nothing that you carry can take it down." Rosa answered.

"That is quite big." Benji commented casually. "You seem rather calm." Maria said to him in a serious tone. "Stay near Maria and Kaede." Benji says to Rosa while gently ruffling her hair. "Daddy needs to fetch something." Rosa nods and moves to Kaede; Kaede stands her hand to Rosa that holds it.

Benji puts the suitcase and the guitar case down and enters on the station again. "What he is doing?" Maria asked confused, she couldn't understand why he was returning to the station. "It doesn't matter now!" Kaede exclaimed pointing to the large flying kouma that is charging at their direction.

Maria draws her revolver and fires when the demon is on her range, as Rosa said the bullets weren't enough to stop the demon, it actually made it madder. The demon maneuvers on the sky with a very large curve; the only direction to attack is the one that he used. The two women and the little girl are protected from behind and from the side by the large building.

"It is flying lower!" Kaede exclaimed as the demon charges at them lower, this time it would hit them. Maria reloads her revolver and hopes that whatever Benji went to pick is strong enough to kill the creature and that he returns fast.

A loud shot is fired behind them and the trio covers their ears feeling pain of the sudden sound. The demon is hit in the head and a large wound appears there before the demon fall and vanishes. "I so missed this." Benji comments while maneuvering the bolt and reloading his AWM.

"What is that?!" Kaede shouted still with her ears ringing. "My sniper rifle." Benji replied casually. The AWM is with a folded bipod under the barrel, a large scope, a sling wrapped around Benji's left arm. The barrel, scope and the magazine are black while the stock is of dull dark graphite colored material.

The barrel is fuming lightly while the still fuming discarded cartridge falls in the ground with a metallic sound. Benji shoulders the rifle and walks to the trio. "I think that everything is fine now." He says to them. "It seems so." Maria commented eyeing the rifle. Benji reveals a long case hidden behind his back and quickly stores the rifle there after closing the lids of the scope; he shoulders the rifle case and does the same with the guitar case.

"When your friends will arrive?" Benji asks casually while Rosa moves to him. "Shortly." Maria answered, she was sure that the hanagumi will arrive since there was an attack in the station; she is rather surprised in seeing that Benji killed the kouma only firing once.

In a couple of minutes the hanagumi inside their koubus arrive on the station, they were surprised with the absence of demon. Maria and Kaede explained to them the reason and the group looks at Benji and Rosa.

Benji wasn't really surprised in seeing the koubus, he already knew about them and they were way smaller than he first imagined them. They were a little over one meter taller than he is. Rosa was a bit scared but since she can sense that Benji isn't even shaken by the machines she relaxes.

Kasumi arrives with the command truck and the just arrived group enters on it. The hanagumi leave to the retrieve spot while Benji, Maria, Kaede and Rosa go to the theater in the command truck.

Later the group is dropped by the doors of the theater; Benji stretches a little and adjusts his backpack, guitar case and the newly added rifle case on his back and picks up the suit case. Maria and Kaede pick their own luggage and lead the way to the theater while Kasumi returns the command vehicle to the underground garage.

Maria and Kaede lead Benji and Rosa inside the theater and Kaede show to them a empty bedroom that they would stay until Benji was tested, if he is able to join then it would be his room in the theater. "You can unpack later, I will brief the other members of the hanagumi about you two and then you two can introduce yourselves to them." Kaede says to the duo.

Benji nods and places his backpack, guitar and rifle case over the bed. Rosa takes out her coat and hangs it on the back of a chair in the room. Maria leaves to her room while Kaede moves to the briefing room.

Rosa moves to the bed and climbs on it. "The mattress is soft." She exclaimed lightly bouncing on it, Benji chuckles lightly and takes of his jacket. "Don't jump on the bed." Benji said in a light tone. "I can understand that you want to play after being still in the train for so long, but you can play later."

Rosa nods and sits on the bed in a lotus position. "Let's separate some clothes so after we meet everyone we can go take a bath." Benji said while opening the backpack. "Yay bath!" Rosa exclaimed cheerfully throwing her little hands on the air.

After ten minutes Maria knocks in the door, Rosa opens it and Maria smiles at the little girl. "It is time for you two meet the others." Maria says to the duo. "Okay." Benji said moving to the door.

Maria leads them to the briefing room so they could introduce themselves. "I have brought them." Maria said to Kaede after entering on the dinning hall. "Thank you." Kaede replied. "And here they are." Kaede said to the hanagumi pointing to Benji and Rosa.

"I am Himura Rosa." Rosa said in a polite tone while bowing lightly and lightly raising the hem of her dress with her hands. "Nice to meet you." "I am Himura Benji, Rosa's father." Benji said in a less formal tone than his daughter. "Nice meeting you."

"From the left to right we have Shinguji Sakura, Kanzaki Sumire, Kirishima Kanna, Ogami Ichiro, Li Kohran, Iris Chateaubriand, Reni Milchstrasse and Orihime Soletta." Kaede said showing the hanagumi.

"Hime." Benji said to Orihime lightly nodding a greeting. "Benji." Orihime replied in a casual tone. "Have been a while." "Benji." Reni said to Benji. "Reni it have been a while you grew a lot." Benji replied. "You are as cute as ever Rosa-chan." Orihime said lightly ruffling Rosa's hair. "But you are much bigger than you were when we last see each other."

Rosa smiles to the Italian girl. "You know each other?" Kaede asked in shock. "Yes, I first met Benji back in Italy sometime after the hoshigumi was disbanded." Orihime answered still messing with Rosa's hair. "He aided me in a bad situation. Reni was with me when that happened."

"Do I want to know?" Kaede asked in a tired voice. "Not really." Benji answered casually. "Enough for me, you guys can continue getting to know each other, I will go take a nap." Kaede said leaving the briefing room. Yoneda chuckled lightly; he had heard a brief resume about Benji from Kaede and understood her tiredness.

"I will continue for her." Yoneda said in a casual tone. "Those three girls over there are the kazegumi, Tsubaki, Kasumi and Yuri, they are the support team. I won't overload you with more names or details you can learn slowly."

Benji nods understanding, actually he already knows everyone but why telling; Rosa fixes her hair since Orihime stopped messing it and is chuckling lightly at the little girl grooming herself. The other members of the hanagumi are unsure of how to react to the duo.

"You finally finished training?" Orihime asked looking at Benji. "I think so, either that or master grew tired of teaching me." Benji answered casually. "And your friends made a little hard to me to live in Kyoto. "I have heard, it is kind of hard to notice when the corpses pile and the leader of them is found dead in an accident." Orihime commented. "I has your name signed on it just like back in Sicily, well in there you was more detailed with your work, this one was a bit sloppy."

"It is not like I have much to work with this time." Benji replied. "It was more reactive than planned and there were interventions too." "You know if I didn't know that you two are talking about mass killing and assassinations I would think that you two were speaking about some kind of painting or drawing." Maria commented in an emotionless tone

"If you think a little Maria-san he is an artist too." Orihime said in a mock matter-of-fact tone. "He is a martial artist well versed in the arts of battle, combat and other martial thingies that I am not aware of." "Martial arts do have arts on it." Reni commented in her usual tone.

"Well let's leave that chat for another time." Benji said in a casual tone. "Knowing that you two where living here I brought you two some souvenirs from Kyoto." "It is very, very tasty candy." Rosa said with a big smile. "Sounds great and I am hungry." Orihime replied with a smile.

"I am rather impressed that you are getting along with Himura-dono." Kohran commented. "He is Japanese." "No he isn't." Orihime replied. "He is Brazilian if you look close enough you can see that he isn't fully Japanese, he is Latin as I am, sadly it seems that his skin lost the handsome tan color that had when we first met. You need to sunbath more, I can't even imagine for how long you avoided the sun to lose your natural tan colored skin."

Benji shrugs lightly at Orihime's comment, he didn't sunbath or enjoyed the sun because he is mostly busy working, taking care of Rosa, training, killing and planning. His scars made him wear long sleeved clothes most of the time; he knows how unpleasant it is for others to see his scarred body.

The group moves to the living quarters while the others stay in the briefing room. "I am quite confused." Sakura commented after they left. "It just gets worse when you learn more about them." Maria commented while leaving. "Well I have to unpack, let me know when it is time for the afternoon tea." "Sure Maria-san." Sakura replied with a smile. After that everyone leaves to change and return to their own routines, Iris decides to peek on the newcomers.

In Benji's and Rosa's new room Reni is politely sited in the only chair of the room while Orihime is sited on the bed, Rosa is lying over her stomach while Benji rummages on the backpack for the promised sweets. "I am surprised that you finally joined us." Orihime commented looking at Benji. "I heard that when you were offered the command of this unit you refused, later you also refused to join few weeks before Reni and I was assigned to this team, why you joined now?"

"My training is mostly over." Benji answered handing to Orihime a box of sweets. "Now I need settle in a place and get ready for my enemy." Orihime sighs tiredly but gladly accepts the candy box. "I feel so jealous." Orihime muttered opening the box. "You only have that person on your heart; there isn't place for me there."

Orihime eats one of the candies and chew it angrily. Reni almost smiles at her long time friend's words, Reni accepts the box that Benji hands to her, unlike Orihime Reni takes time to open the box and study the rare treat.

"For how long you will be staying here?" Reni asked before tasting one of the sweets. "As long as it takes." Benji answered sitting on the bed near of Rosa. "I am sharp enough now; all that I need is to maintain my edge." "I hate when you speak about yourself like that." Orihime said after biting another sweet. "It makes you seem like an object and not a person."

Benji smiles and remains in silence, Orihime doesn't know much about his reasons or his past otherwise she wouldn't be as friendly. "Well." Benji said clapping his hands. "It was a long trip and Rosa is getting restless, we will go take a bath to wash up the dust from the trip so she can play until she is hungry."

"Yay bath!" Rosa exclaimed jumping at Benji's arms. Orihime laughs softly. "She really likes taking a bath doesn't she?" she asked teasingly. "She can swim in the tub so the answer is yes." Benji replied adjusting Rosa on his arms. "Mind in showing the nearest bathhouse?"

"You don't need to go there." Orihime said closing her candy box and standing up. "We have a large bathroom with a very large tub here in the theater, I show you the way." "Great." Benji replied placing Rosa down and picking up the bath goods that he had separated earlier as well the fresh set of clothes.

A short while later Rosa is humming sited in a small stall while Benji washes her long hair, Rosa's eyes are closed so the bubbles from the shampoo doesn't enter on her eyes. Benji is with a towel wrapped around his waist, contrasting with Rosa's naked body; Benji gently scrubs Rosa's scalp while she continues to hum softly.

"You do that everyday?" Orihime asked from the tub, she is with a towel wrapped around her body and looking at the duo; Reni isn't there, unlike Orihime Reni wasn't as bold. "Yes; otherwise why her hair would be this glossy and silky?" Benji replied in a casual tone.

"You hair is like that too." Orihime commented. "I do the same." Benji replied. "I am going to rinse now." "Hai." Rosa replied shutting her eyes even more. Benji gently rinses the bubbles with warm water from a pail and makes sure that they are all gone. "Okay now you can enter in the tub." Benji says to Rosa.

"I want wash your back!" Rosa exclaimed standing up. "Fine." Benji said sitting on the stall and moving his hair from his back, it now clings over his left shoulder and chest. Rosa grabs the washcloth and pours some soap on it before washing Benji's wide back.

"You got new scars since I last saw you." Orihime commented in a serious tone. "I am not invulnerable or good enough to avoid everything." Benji said in a casual tone.

Rosa ignores the conversation happily washing Benji's back, she is used to his scars and actually don't mind them, it wouldn't be the same daddy with out them. Benji begins to wash his hair while Rosa works on his back. "Your hair is also longer." Orihime said changing the subject. "Why you didn't cut it?"

"It was just too hard to grow it this long and just cut it." Benji replied casually. "I wanted to have hair this long for a long time. I admit that is troublesome but have some utilities." "Like what?" Orihime asked curiously. "When tied in my normal style my hair will prevent someone from cutting my head." Benji answered. "Hair is very, very hard to cut with a blade, especially when it is tied in a thick way as mine."

"And I was thinking that was to make you look better." Orihime muttered. "You only think in battles?" "It is kind of hard to just ignore it after six years of battles." Benji replied. "Rosa is only four years old." Orihime pointed out. "I fought even before she was even conceived." Benji said in a serious tone.

Benji rinses his hair and Rosa his back. Rosa holds his hand and pulls him to the tub. Benji sits away from Orihime and Rosa near Benji, but soon she is floating on the water with her hair floating around her body.

The door connected to the changing opens and the other members of the hanagumi enter on the bathroom. "They will scream." Benji muttered seeing the girls clad only in bath towels. "I will calm them." Orihime said with a smile. "After they scream."

The girls scream in the top of their lungs, Maria and Reni didn't. Reni actually tried to warn the others but they ignored her too busy in gossiping about the arrival of Benji and Rosa. Maria was just surprised but since she wasn't naked it wasn't much to worry about.

Orihime quickly calm down the girls, they all blush deeply in seeing Benji half naked on the tub but they all agree that they are the one to blain; they walked on him and not the other way around. "And why you are bathing with them?" Sumire asked to Orihime.

"You Japanese are the ones who say that bathing is something that brings people together and have those large communitarian tubs and bath houses, I fail to see why it would be any different of those concepts and I do know Benji and Rosa so I think that it is okay to bath with them, and it isn't like we are naked." Orihime replied in a calm tone.

"Orihime-san does have a point; it isn't uncommon for people do that." Sakura commented. "Until few decades ago common bath of mixed genders were common in Japan, as long I am with my towel on and he keeps his I think that I won't mind in sharing the bath only this once."

The others nod agreeing, after undressing and being ready to bath it would be a waste not to bath and would be very rude and selfish to ask to Benji to leave so they could take a bath alone. One by one the girls enter in the tub, Iris is the first one to enter and she moves near of Rosa but glances curiously at Benji.

Now Maria could see almost every scar on Benji's body, she is shocked beyond words in seeing the extension of his scars; the small scars on his left hand climb all the way up to his shoulder, in the inner part of the arm a long scar goes all the way up and down his arm and fingers.

Too curious to contain herself Iris moves closer to Benji; Benji is just enjoying the warm water with his head leaning back and his eyes closed. "Iris don't stare at his chest, it is rude." Maria said in a whisper to the blonde.

"It is okay." Benji said not looking at them. "Iris didn't have much contact with males, right?" "Well I think that it is right." Sakura commented blushing while trying to look away from his bare chest. "So it is natural for her to be curious about the anatomic differences between men and women." Benji continued. "As long she doesn't touch or try looking on what is covered by the towel I am okay with her looking."

The others blush understanding his words, Iris is meekly reaching to his chest. "It is hard." She commented softly pressing on Benji's chest. "Why it is hard when everyone else is soft?"

"Because I am a man." Benji answered. "Man and woman are different, women have breasts and men don't have them, so normally our chests aren't soft as a women's. In here there is only muscle." Benji lightly patted on his chest while saying that. Iris nod not really understanding, she continues to exam Benji's chest curiously and runs her fingers on the three long scars on his chest.

Iris shivers strongly and pulls her hand away as if she touched in something really hot. Everyone including Benji looked at the girl worried. "What happened Iris-chan?" Sakura asked in a worried tone. "Iris is scared." Iris whimpered in fear while hugging her knees close against her chest, with tears running down her cheeks. "What caused those scars?" Maria asked to Benji in a serious tone. "What could make Iris react like that?"

"These were caused by Rosa's enemy; I guess that I should know that it would have some effect if someone sensitive touched them." Benji said standing up. "Don't worry about what you saw Iris, that person is far, far away from here and as long I am here she won't do anything to anyone."

"Let's go Rosa." Benji said to his daughter, Rosa nods and moves to him, she isn't really pleased in cutting short her bath but she knows that things are serious. Benji and Rosa leave the bathroom, Sakura is gently soothing Iris with her arms around the little blonde's shoulders.

"What you saw Iris?" Maria asked to the little girl. "Hate…so much hate…anger…despise…violence…" Iris whimpered with her eyes closed. "Ice cold green eyes and blonde hair…there isn't purity on them…just rage, despise and anger…three blades as one carved his chest…metal blocked metal and saved him…he was left to die…"

"It is enough Iris-chan." Sakura said gently kissing the little girl's forehead. "You can forget everything, don't think about it, just forget it all." Sakura looks at Maria and send a silence message of not making Iris remember what she felt or saw again.

"I guess that I will leave too." Orihime commented standing up. "You know what caused those scars?" Sumire asked to Orihime. "Some of them he gained protecting me, the others I can only wonder." Orihime answered. "He prefers not talking about them and I decided not to pursue."

"Just to make sure it wasn't you right?" Kanna asked to her best friend. "Right." Maria answered seriously, she expected that question because the hair and eye color that Iris said that saw. "I am not good with knives or bayonets and for sure I wouldn't be able to give those three cuts on his chest, I wouldn't be able to get that close of him."

Everyone else stays in silence, no one knew how to approach Benji and after this incident they are even more unsure of it than before. Maria decides to end her bath sooner and leaves the tub.

Back in their room Benji and Rosa dressed with their clothes, Rosa is sited in the bed looking at Benji; Benji is sited on the floor with his AWM field stripped in front of him, he is carefully cleaning the barrel with a long brush made for it.

"You won't rest?" Orihime asked entering on the room. "Later." Benji replied deciding not to scold her for invading his privacy. "I want to make sure that Natalia is in her best shape, it has been a long time since I gave her any attention."

"I won't even try to understand why you named that rifle." Orihime said sitting on the only chair of the room. "It is an homage to someone." Benji said in a serious tone, he removes the brush from inside the barrel and looks inside it.

"You know who?" Orihime asked to Rosa. "No." Rosa answered in an honest tone, Benji never told him. Deciding to drop the subject Orihime looks at the dark one piece stock, forearm and receiver of the rifle. "I never saw that one before." Orihime commented. "I kept her stored here." Benji said reassembling the rifle. "I don't carry this one around."

Orihime sighs unable to keep a good chat with him or hold her curiosity. Benji finishes assembling the rifle and stores it back on the case. "Now can we go?" Rosa asked curiously. Benji smiled looking at her. "Yes, now we can go." He answered in a light tone. "Put on your jacket."

Rosa nods and quickly obeys. "Where you two are going?" Orihime asked curious. "Visit an old friend." Benji answered while putting on his shoulder holsters with his two pistols. "Armed?" Orihime asked raising an eyebrow. "I never leave with out them." Benji answered putting on his jacket and adjusting the magazine holsters on his waist.

Orihime walks out of the room since Benji and Rosa are leaving, Rosa follows Orihime but wait outside the room; Benji leaves the room and lock it. The trio moves to the entry, Benji looks at Orihime before asking. "You are planning going with us?"

"I don't really have plans for the rest of the day so I was thinking in seeing what kind of friends you have." Orihime answered with a smile. "Well she won't mind company." Benji commented looking around the entry, he smiles seeing Tsubaki. "Tsubaki!" Benji called making the short girl look at him confused. "Hai?" she asked confused.

"I want to ask to you to deliver this to the manager." Benji explained handing to the brown haired girl a small and flat velvet box. "In this box there are five pairs of different rounds that I use, they are a present from me to the developing division of this group. Those rounds are by far more powerful than the ones that are available today, I am giving them to be studied and replicated. If it is possible I need around fifty rounds of the one marked .338lapua; I am kind of short on that one."

"I understand." Tsubaki said in a rather rare serious tone. "Also tell him to the researches be careful since the propellants and primers are much stronger than the ones that they know." Benji added seriously. "I don't have many rounds so I can't spare more than those for them to study."

"I will tell him that." Tsubaki replied. "That is good." Benji said smiling at the girl "Rosa and I are going to visit a friend and we should be back before the theater closes. Let him know that too." "I will." Tsubaki said bowing lightly. "I will be going now."

"I am impressed." Orihime commented after Tsubaki left. "Normally Tsubaki doesn't behave that formally." "She sensed that it was a serious subject and acted as she should." Benji replied. "I hope to get more Lapua rounds soon I am very short of them."

"Where you are going?" A male voice asked; Benji recognized Ogami's voice and so did Orihime. "It isn't any of your business." Orihime spat angrily. "Orihime there isn't need to be rude just because you dislike Japanese men." Benji scolded the brunette in a gentle tone.

He turns to Ogami. "I am going to visit and acquaintance of mine that lives here." Benji said to the young lieutenant. "I wasn't told that I can't walk around freely and I fail to see any reasons that I can't take my daughter to a walk in the city where she was born."

Ogami nodded understanding. "I also don't see problems in you doing so but Orihime going with you is a bit of an issue." Ogami commented. "Is there a rule that forbids a member of the hanagumi of walking around the city?" Benji asked politely, why stir problems with the younger man.

"We are supposed to always be on stand by duty." Ogami explained. "We have scheduled days off." Benji nodded understanding. "As if anyone would attack again today." Orihime commented throwing her hair over her shoulder. "From experience I know very well that when there is an attack it takes a long time for another one to happen."

"You are right about that Orihime-san but we can't slack off." Ogami replied seriously. "If we relax just because it never happened before and the enemy attacks it will be very bad for us and the city." "He does have a point in the strategic point of view." Benji commented.

"They defended the city very well without me here for months." Orihime said. "They can do it again for one more time." "What is going on?" Yoneda asked walking to the entrance. "I did hope to find you here Himura-dono but I wasn't expecting to hear an argument."

"It isn't an argument." Benji replied. "But more like a conversation, I assume that you want to ask me about the rounds that I told to Tsubaki give to you right?" Yoneda nodded at his words. "Yes, I was hoping to hear where you acquired such rounds." Yoneda answered. "Sorry about that but I won't be answering that." Benji replied. "It wouldn't do any good anyway."

"Well I think that I can live with that." Yoneda commented. "So about what is the discussion here?" "I was about to go visit a friend of mine since I am here in the city, Orihime wanted to tag along." Benji explained. "But Ogami-san just informed that the members of the hanagumi are always in stand by duty and can't leave the theater when it isn't a scheduled day off."

Yoneda nodded understanding. "I do feel bad for that but you have to understand that there are very few people that can pilot a koubu." Yoneda said seriously. "We can't just let them wander in the city at their wills, if an attack occurs and they are scattered around we wouldn't be ready to respond to the menace with the needed swiftness."

"As a soldier and strategist I can agree with such worries." Benji replied. "But being unable to move freely and see the city and the people that they are protecting, enjoy the peace that they are fighting to protect is not only unfair but bad for the overall morale. I am rather sure that the girls must be tired of being inside the theater walls all day long even with distractions and other things to do that I am sure that this theater can offer."

Yoneda nodded agreeing and understanding, he couldn't help in smiling inwardly at Ayame's findings and reports about him, he was indeed a leader and a soldier but above everything he was a man who worries about the others. "I see your point, what about we do this…" Yoneda said looking at the taller man. "For one week we will try giving to everyone one free hour to walk around the city and enjoy themselves, think as a break from the stand by indoors. It would keep them in stand by and as well give them some time to get fresh air."

"And how it would be arranged those hours?" Benji asked. "Everyone taking them at the same time or taking in smaller groups in different hours?" "The second." Yoneda answered. "So there would always be a group ready to deploy if needed." Benji nodded agreeing. "Well then we will try that starting tomorrow." Yoneda said. "Ogami-kun call the girls since I am in a good mood today I will give them the rest of the day off, you can also go take a walk or do whatever you do in your free time."

"Well then we will be going." Benji said to the older man. "Take care." Yoneda said to the trio. Ogami stared surprised. "What you are waiting go tell that to the others!" Yoneda snapped at Ogami. "They will be angry if they learn that you wasted their precious free time!"

Ogami yelped and run to tell the news to the hanagumi. Looking at Benji walking with Rosa and Orihime Yoneda sighed. "Such a shame that he declined the offer." Yoneda muttered. "I wonder how things would have been different if he was the one leading them."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Wait!" Sakura called while running after Orihime, Benji and Rosa. (Christ if this goes on I wonder when we will get there.) Benji muttered in Portuguese as they stop moving, Benji turns and sees the entire hanagumi running after Sakura.

Sakura reaches the trio and stop running, panting for air Sakura holds her knees. "You walk very fast considering how short Rosa-chan's legs are." She said between breaths. "Anything wrong Cherry-san?" Orihime asked.

"Ogami-san said that we got the rest of the day off thanks to Benji-san." Sakura replied. "We thought that it would be nice if we thanked for that, and it would be nice if we got to know each other better."

"I haven't done anything." Benji said to the much shorter girl. "Don't say that." Kanna commented cheerfully. "It is the first time that this happens and even if doesn't work will be a very welcomed change." All the other girls even Maria nodded agreeing.

"So where you are going?" Kanna asked curiously. "To the church." Rosa answered with a smile. "Church? You people are going to pray?" Sumire asked confused. "Nope." Benji answered. "Just visiting someone. You girls can follow, I am sure that it will be amusing."

"It is a good beginning." Kohran commented. The others nod and decide to follow them. "This run down place?!" Orihime exclaimed shocked seeing the abandoned state of the church. "What kind of people let the house of God fall apart like this?!"

"Japanese aren't a catholic people Orihime." Benji replied seeing the stained stones and plant covered front of the abandoned church, he can't help on smiling wistfully at the sight. "Hold a second there!" Kanna said as Benji moved to the large doors of the church. "That place is haunted!"

Benji chuckled at Kanna's words, he already knew about that rumor, of the ghost sister haunting the old church. "Hi Leliel, Michael." Benji said opening the doors; the rust covered hinges make a loud sound as they open. Benji smiled seeing the statue of the two angels next to the altar. "So she gave your sword back haven't she Michael."

The hanagumi watched confused, Rosa herself greets the statues. "Don't mind me." Benji said to the hanagumi. "It is just a private joke." "At angels?" Orihime asked angrily as any Italian she is catholic. "As I said private." Benji replied seeing the repaired right hand of Michael wielding a long sword.

"This place smell like mold and stale air." Sumire complained entering in the dust covered church. "It is kind of sad." Maria commented, while raised as orthodox catholic she was also catholic. "The stained glass are pretty even cracked."

"What are those stains?" Kohran asked seeing dark and old stains in the walls. Benji only smiled and walks to the back of the church. Benji makes the sign of the cross while passing by the altar, was more of habit with a bit of respect than just faith and respect. Rosa copies the gesture just because he does it, she still hasn't decided in a religion. Orihime does the sign and so do Maria as they follow Benji to the back.

Their steps sound in the empty church raising dust from the floor. Odd bubbling sounds come from the bowels of the convent behind the church. Kanna, Sakura, Sumire and Iris shriek in terror as a pale face appears from a darkened room. Maria draws her revolver but Benji holds her gun forcing it down surprising Maria with the sheer strength of his hand.

Benji walks to the room and opens the door wide showering the room with the bright sunlight, light rapes the darkness of the room. "Argh! Light! Light! It burns! It burns! It hurts! It hurts!" the person shouts. It is a young woman wearing a very dirty nun clothes cowering behind a desk. "My eyes! My eyes!"

Benji laughed softly. "Sister you sounds like a vampire." He said walking to the nun. "For Christ's sake Isabel what have I told you about the lights?" "Benji?" Isabel asked peeking through her half shut eyelids. "Who else would come to this church sister?" Benji answered.

Isabel hugs the tall man; it has been over eight months since she last saw him. "Jesus Christ woman!" Benji shouted prying the woman away and holding her far from him. "When it was the last time that you bathed?"

"What day is today?" Isabel asked looking at him. "December twenty fifth." Benji answered. "A Monday." After few moments of silence Isabel answered. "Exactly four months ago." Benji throws the woman over his left shoulder. "Benji put me down now!" The nun shrieked flailing on his grip. "Don't you even dare to do it!"

Pulling his wallet from his pocket he hands it to Rosa. "Go to the usual place and get a new set for her, also buy the regular kit." Benji instructed. "I will be in the usual place." Rosa nodded and bolts out from the church holding his wallet. Stunned with everything the hanagumi follows Benji as he leaves the church.

"That time of the year?" An old woman asked seeing Benji carrying the protesting nun on his shoulders. "I am a bit early this year." Benji answered with a smile. "Just give me few minutes to clear the place." The old woman replied. "She is worse than the usual." "Yeah I am really suffering today, get the furnace ready." Benji commented. "I will." She said walking away.

Benji waits tapping his right foot while Isabel continues to protest. "I don't know what is more bizarre." Sumire commented. "He holding that woman like that or the fact that no one around here seems to care." "I think that is the fact that she doesn't bath for months." Sakura said still covering her nose. "I agree with you Cherry-san." Orihime replied. "God she stinks!"

"It is done." Rosa chirped running to Benji with a brown parcel on her arms. "Thanks sweetie, wait here while daddy works." Benji replied with a smile. "It is clear." The old woman said. "I will pay when done." Benji said marching inside the male side of the bath.

Isabel's shriek is heard for a moment before it is drowned, Benji had thrown her in the water. "Benji stay away!" Isabel shrieked. "I wonder if we should help her." Kohran said to the others. "I mean he kidnapped her and throw her in a tub."

"I won't take my chances after what I saw him doing." Maria commented hearing the shouts from the nun. "NOT THERE! BENJI DON'T RIP THAT!!!" "I make mine Maria's words." Orihime said. "So that happens a lot Rosa-chan?" Sakura asked to the child. "Normally twice a year." Rosa answered. "Auntie often forgets to bath so daddy drags her here and clean her up by force."

"That is quite horrible." Sumire commented. "What him force bathing her and seeing her naked or her not taking baths for months?" Orihime asked. "Both, I don't think that I would be able to live if someone did something like that to me." Sumire answered. "Not that I would stay months without a bath. I can't even endure not taking two baths a day three if is too hot and I sweat more."

"Yeah." The others agreed nodding. After half an hour Benji wearing a different outfit walks out of the changing room followed by a pale skinned and honey haired nun wearing a much different outfit, a slit on the left side of the skirt exposes her stocking covered legs, her veil wasn't covering her hair.

"Oh my god!" Orihime shrieked. "Her hair wasn't black!" All the hanagumi girls gasped in horror at the transformation recalling the tan colored face and the very black hair of the nun. "The place is a mess." Benji said handing to the old woman a thin wad of Yens. "Throw the clothes in the furnace, change the water and scrub the place really well."

"I will it was time for a good cleaning." The old woman replied with a smile taking the money. "One day you will pay me." Isabel said with a hint of tears on her eyes. "Why shaving everything?!" "It is much cleaner like that." Benji answered. "Besides if you really wanted to avoid that you would have bathed regularly."

Isabel shakes in anger glaring at Benji. Isabel's skin is even paler than Benji; Maria could understand how a woman with an alabaster colored skin living in a dark church wearing dark robes would be rumored as a ghost.

"So when was the last time that you ate anything?" Benji asked seeing how loose the outfit was around her waist and hips. "I think that is has been one week." Isabel answered finally realizing how hungry she is. "I send you money every month why you don't take a better care of yourself and the church?" Benji asked seriously.

"I forget because the research." Isabel answered with a meek smile. "But at least I am much more slim and fit than the others." Benji sighs. "Let's go eat something, you can tell me about that later." Benji commented.

"Hi there cutie." Isabel said bending forward and rubbing Rosa's hair. "Have been a while." "It does auntie!" Rosa exclaimed happily. Isabel smiled at the girl and hugs her. "You grow so big and healthy!" Isabel exclaimed kneeling on the sidewalk. "I can hardly believe that the little baby that I held on these arms just few years ago became such a big girl!" Rosa hugs Isabel back.

"She is the mother?" Sakura asked to Benji. "No." Benji answered with a smile. "Isabel is almost a surrogate mother, but she isn't Rosa's mother. But she really helped me during Rosa's first year."

"Let's go eat something tasty!" Isabel said holding Rosa's tiny hand. "I don't eat for so long that I am nearly dying for something!" "As long you don't get sick…" Benji muttered at the nun.

Twenty minutes later Benji is supporting the nun as she violently throws up in a gutter next to the ramen stand that they were eating on. Holding her hair away from her face and with an arm around her waist Benji holds the nun as her body is wrecked by violent cramps.

"I told you to take easy." Benji said to the nun as they walk back to the stand. "You can't keep solid food down right now." "I am ready to more." Isabel said with a tired smile. "Again?!" the hanagumi shouted in surprise. "How you can remain hungry after that?" Ogami asked in horror.

"My body is craving for food even though I can't keep it down." Isabel replied as Benji orders a bowl of broth and three raw eggs. Benji mixes the eggs on an empty glass using a pair of chopsticks and then mixes the eggs on the broth making an opaque light brown colored broth.

"Drink that slowly." Benji said to the nun. Isabel nodded and holds the bowl and takes a sip from it. "You know that isn't healthy for her to do that?" Reni asked to Benji. "With me here I will prevent her from starving herself like that." Benji replied eating a gyoza. "I tend to forget to sleep and eat when too concentrated on a project." Isabel said with a meek smile. "Normally I expend three days without sleeping and just pausing to go to the bathroom, drink some water and eat something, in a busier week I tend to forget eating."

"She is worse that you Kohran." Sumire said to the Chinese woman. "At least you remember to eat, sleep and bath." "What you research?" Kohran asked curious to the nun. "Something related to your religion?"

"Well it also has something to do with God and his words." Isabel said after sipping more of her soup. "I make the weapons that Benji uses; I also carve on them the runes that the Almighty left behind for us, making them holy and more powerful against the forces of darkness."

"You fight evil?" Ogami asked in shock. "I have clashed with them in the past." Benji answered casually. "He was scouted by Ayame." Maria said in a flat tone. "He refused to join." "I have more important responsibilities than that." Benji commented before they said anything.

"When that happened?" Ogami asked surprised, the idea that Benji could be in the hanagumi was scary. "Before you did." Benji answered. "She wanted me to be the leader." Ogami gaped at the answer; he never thought that someone was offered that role.

After the nun finishes eating they move back to the church. "Fiend of darkness!" A male voice shouted behind them. "Your presence on this world will end now and so will that spawn of the devil, and you bride of evil you will pay dearly for betraying your God." A priest shouted pointing to Benji, Rosa and then to Isabel.

"Again?" Benji asked to the priest. "Every time that I come to Teito you pop spouting that like come up with something new." Rosa nodded agreeing, she didn't fully understands that is going on but didn't really care about it.

"Hey you got new nuns this time." Benji commented seeing the new faces on the group of nuns surrounding them. Cracking his knuckles and then his neck Benji licks his lips. "Well time to do the devil's work." He commented casually. "Work hard." Isabel said with a smile.

"What is going on?" Maria asked confused. "I explain later." Benji said before bolting towards a nun, holding at her fist holding a cross, wrapping his left arm around her waist Benji pulls the nun's slim body against him, pressing her pelvis against his and whispering on her ear before French kissing the nun and shocking the hanagumi.

Benji leaps away from the nun as she falls over her knees. "I…want…to go to the hell…" she stuttered with a blush and dreamy eyes and expression. "As a demon is my duty to temp men and she was unable to withstand the temptation." Benji said with a wicked smile on his lips. "But with me as temptation it was cowardice."

In a blur of motion Benji is with another of the new nuns on his arms. "So young one ready to taste the forbidden fruit offered by this devil?" Benji purred sultrily while the nun weakly struggles on his arms. Leaving the nun to fall limp over her knees mewling in pleasure Benji walks to another one. "So many souls to steal…" Benji purred with a smile.

"He got stronger!" One of the older nuns shouted in horror, the other nuns start to run and flee holding their dazed companions. Benji laughed, Isabel holds her stomach and starts to laugh so hard that she is crying; Rosa also begins to laugh as the group flees. "God this is one of the best parts of arrive in Teito." Benji said walking back to the hanagumi.

"So what was that?" Ogami asked suspiciously. "A misunderstanding." Benji answered casually. "Years ago I didn't had control of my spirit energy so I burned myself with the holy water, it had spirit energy because the prayers of the priest and the nuns. Since then they assumed that I was a devil and called Rosa of demon's spawn and Isabel of devil's bride and excommunicated us, since I am not a really practicing catholic I don't really care. Rosa isn't catholic or even baptized."

"And I believe that I haven't committed any sin or offense in the eyes of the Almighty." Isabel added. "The Lord lives in my hearth and not in a building, if I am truly worth of hell then by the will of the Almighty I will burn in the fiery pits but not by the mandate of man."

"Well it kind of makes sense." Sakura commented. "Knowing the history of the church I fail to see their logic." Orihime commented as they enter on the church. "So why the abandoned the building?"

"Since I lived here with Rosa for months they believed that I have corrupted this holy ground." Benji answered. "But it is as holy at always were, people blind by faith like that can't see the truth. So Isabel lives here in her old room in the convent she uses the basement as workshop."

Isabel nodded confirming. "I finished that thing that you asked." She said as they enter on her shop. "This place smells really bad." Iris said covering her nose. "Well fumes and other things remain here, the ventilation can't handle everything." Isabel commented.

"Here." She said handing to Benji a small silver colored pistol. ".32ACP machine pistol, fully operational and tested." Benji nodded and exams the pistol. "There you go." Benji says handing it to Rosa. "Later we will train you with it, is time for you to use a larger caliber."

"Hai!" Rosa exclaimed holding the pistol against her chest with a bright smile. "It has the usual modes and each magazine hold twelve rounds." Isabel explained. "Hardly as much as yours or even Rosa's rifle but is a more powerful and bigger cartridge." Benji nodded understanding as Isabel gives him nine extra magazines.

"Is that even safe?" Ogami asked surprised in seeing how carelessly Benji handed to a child a gun. "Rosa is very aware of how to handle a gun." Benji answered, Rosa sited on the floor and is learning how that particular pistol works. "Anyway sister since I am moving here you will be moving out." Benji said to Isabel. "You are moving there."

"I hate that place." Isabel protested. "It is comfortable and made for you work safely." Benji replied. "Has all the modern comforts, if God wanted us to sleep in hard beds and feel cold he wouldn't have given to men the intelligence to create comfortable beds and heaters. God is behind the inventions of men."

Isabel mutters something and nods. "Start packing up what you need." Benji added. "Tomorrow I will send a car here for you. And living there you won't ever again forget eating, bathing and sleeping, there will be others there to remind you of that."

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Rosa is sleeping on Benji's arms as they return back to the theater. "It is okay to leave the sister alone there?" Sakura asked to Benji. "She is never alone." Benji answered with a smile, glancing over the church. "Leliel weren't always there." Confused with his answer the hanagumi look confused to the tall man.

"Who is that Leliel?" Sumire asked to Orihime in a whisper. "Leliel is an angel, it is called angel of the night but some think that it is also a demon." Orihime answered, as any good catholic she had to know that much. "Kind of fitting." Sumire commented, Benji was mistake by a demon when he wasn't so it wasn't all that odd to identifying himself with an angel with the same misunderstanding.

Maria also heard the conversation but she thinks that there is something else on his answer than just plain mysticism and religion. 'Why an assassin would pray to the angelic ruler of the night?' Slapping her forehead in realization of why Maria feels silly for even wondering why. 'He is a creature of the night, so he looks at the ruler of the night with respect, but there is something else there…'

Back in theater Benji enters on his room with Rosa. "Where she will sleep?" Orihime asked knowing that there is only one bed in the room. "With me." Benji answered with a small smile. "She used to have her bed in Kyoto but this little minx really loves to sleep with me. If you excuse me hime I haven't slept much last night so I am really tired now."

Orihime nodded and sees Benji disappearing on the bedroom. "While I don't see problems father and very young daughter sharing a bed I think that would be better purchasing a new one if Benji-san and Rosa-chan become part of the team." Sumire commented.

The others nod agreeing, but inwardly Iris is jealous of the little girl for having such loving father. The hanagumi disbands and every go take care of their own business. In his room Benji changes the now half sleep child. Laying the child now wearing a cherry colored slip on the bed Benji changes to his night clothes before lying next to Rosa.

The child snuggles against Benji's body, Benji wraps his arms against Rosa's small shoulders and hold her close in the darkness, Rosa sigh contently. Running his right hand on Rosa's hair Benji remains awake looking at the darkness of the room, that was his world for the past four years; that small and warm bundle of life on his arms pressed against his body.

Benji can hear Rosa's soft breathing in the rhythm of her peaceful slumber and he can feel the fast beat of her small heart slowing, as long that life was still pulsing Benji would remain sane, the beast within his heart would be asleep and frailly chained.

End of the chapter eight:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that have read and reviewed and to everyone that is reading this story.


	9. Angel

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. Some anime or manga characters might show up in the story I also don't own then. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

New feature in the story:

I will be using a series of ……… to mark scene changes and a series of **………** to mark changes from a scene to a flashback and from a flashback to a present time scene.

The use of bold text will be reserved to recollections and flashbacks triggered by one action of a character.

I.e. a character starting a flashback by thinking on the event or speaking about the event of the flashback to other characters, the flashbacks started this way won't be started with the dots but a dot separated flashback most of the times will be a character started flashback as it occurred before on the story with the bold text flashbacks.

Chapter nine: Angel

Teito December Twenty sixth 1925; 6:32 AM

The addition of Benji and Rosa Himura to the theater was sudden but the hanagumi felt that they could get used to them. Benji was overall polite and kind, but reserved but treated everyone well; Rosa was bright cheerful, kind, polite and active.

Not even Sumire could complain about the little girl's manner, Rosa ate politely and even demurely but enjoyed the food; Benji manners were slightly less refined than his child's but still on acceptable standards for the Kanzaki heiress, but it was clear that there was food on Benji's plate that weren't from his liking, it was easy to tell that he was forcing himself to eat them.

"Eat the eggplant." Benji said to his daughter noticing her picking the raw eggplant seasoned with soy sauce and ginger. "I don't like it like this." Rosa complained. "That or natto." Benji replied. "You don't eat natto." Sakura pointed out since Benji refused the fermented soy beams. "Neither she." Benji replied. "But she has to pick one."

Rosa pouted and starts eating the eggplant with rice. "So you have to set an example?" Sumire asked noticing how Benji had downed the Chinese cabbage. "Yes." Benji answered after sipping some miso soup. Benji sighed lightly. "Anything wrong?" Sakura asked worried, she was the one who made the misoshiro.

"It isn't the miso Sakura." Benji said with a smile. "I was just recalling how I was in my childhood. Fatherhood isn't easy." "I take by your words that you weren't exactly fond of vegetables." Sumire commented. "Hate them with passion." Benji replied. "Matter of fact still do with many, but as you said I have to set an example."

Sumire noticed Benji glancing to Rosa who is struggling with her eggplant. "While I don't force Rosa to eat certain things that I really hate I make her eat everything else." Benji said after eating some rice and fish. "Unless it is something that have an unusual smell, taste or is a kind of acquired taste."

Sumire nodded understanding. "Rosa loves sashimi and sukiyaki." Benji commented. "Yuck." Iris said before eating her miso. "It is very yummy." Rosa commented with a smile. "But I don't know when I started eating it." "Neither do I." Benji added. "So I assume that I started eating very young. But just because Rosa likes sukiyaki it doesn't mean that I will make her drink a raw egg."

"It is understandable." Maria commented. "So how you got her started with those?" Maria also grew eating sashimi in certain occasions in her childhood, her mother prepared in special days as her birthday or holidays.

Benji chuckled recalling it. "Actually Rosa was the one curious." Benji answered, it was one of many fond memories that he had. "I was eating it and she wanted to try, she was a little over two years at that time. I ate half of a tuna fillet and gave the remaining half for her. Since then she always eats sashimi, it is the same with sukiyaki."

The girls chuckled imagining the scene. "One thing that I really can't accept is that she has a deadly hate for passion fruits." Benji commented with a sigh. "Well actually it is an allergy, surely from her mother's side."

Rosa snorts at the name of her most hated food and bites hard on an eggplant and accidentally a large piece of ginger. Rosa coughs and hurriedly drinks some water to wash away the strong taste.

"That bad?" Orihime asked chuckling. "I can't even bring the stuff home." Benji commented with a sigh. "She gets all red. I can't even eat any because if I do she gets rashes from me for a couple of days."

"It is really a shame that mousse is really tasty." Reni commented. "Mousse?" Orihime asks curiously and jealous. "Once I made for me and Reni was there too so we ate it together, you and your mother took Rosa to shopping." Benji explained. "I remember that." Orihime commented.

"At least she can eat the lime one." Benji said. "I love those." Rosa said with a smile. "You cook?" Ogami asked surprised, he only cooked because it was required in the army, actually it was punishment. "Yes, I learned gradually through my life." Benji answered. "It is not only an important survival skill but I don't have to depend of anyone if I want to eat something. Besides in war you don't have cooks or a woman to cook for you, the soldiers has to cook their own meals."

Maria nodded agreeing with his words. "You like cooking?" Kanna asked curiously, now on that area she has plenty of experience and she is always eager to eat something from a new culture. "Well I don't hate cooking, but I don't love it either, let's say that there are times that I like cooking." Benji answered. "Just like when you really feel like eating something it is always good to fix that."

Kanna nodded understanding. "You know any good dishes from your homeland?" Kanna asked curiously. "Well I can't prepare many, if not all of them but there are some that I can." Benji answered scratching his chin. "I need to check my cookbook later." "Daddy's sweets are great!" Rosa exclaimed with a huge smile. "Thank you sweetie but that doesn't make me forget that you still need to finish those eggplants." Benji said smiling back to her. Rosa pouted seeing that he wouldn't be easily distracted.

"But I might make some sweets." Benji commented looking at Reni. "Your birthday was yesterday wasn't it Reni?" Reni actually looked embarrassed at his words. "Yes it was." Reni answered. "But it isn't important."

"Yes it is." Orihime said seriously to her silver haired friend. "Benji you go make a list of what you need and hand to the man over there." Orihime commanded pointing to Ogami. "While he shops for them we will make the preparations for the party."

"Sounds good for me." Kanna commented always happy to party. "I help on fixing them too." "You would eat everything before the party." Sumire said to the red head. "If she tried I would eat her hands." Benji said in a flat tone. "But help will be welcomed." Kanna looks at Benji unsure if he was just saying that to scare her or he meant it.

"We also need to buy the presents." Sakura said cheerfully. "I deal with the fireworks." Kohran announced. "I will go get my blast armor." Benji commented. "Why I have the feeling that you already know Kohran's reputation?" Maria asked to Benji. "Years of constant battle tunned my sixth sense to detect danger." Benji answered. "Well he is right about the danger." Orihime commented.

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"Well we are done." Benji said placing the last platter of sweets over a table. "I can't believe that the four of you did all that in just three hours." Maria said staring at the large amount of sweets over the table, many types of Brazilian sweets as well mousses and tarts.

"We are still going to start on the appetizers." Orihime said with a smile. "Rosa-chan guard the sweets very well." Orihime said looking at the child. "Keep Kanna away from them." "Hai!" Rosa chirped with a smile. "Maria mind in helping Rosa on the task?" Benji asked with a smile.

"Well I guess that it is okay." Maria replied. "We already finished with the decoration." "We will start the appetizers now." Orihime announced taking Benji back to the kitchen where Sakura is waiting.

Rosa sits in an empty chair next to the table with the sweets, Benji have chased Kanna from the kitchen earlier. Maria looks at Rosa's posture, the little girl's back is straight even thought she isn't resting against the back, Rosa looks around the room dutifully fulfilling her duties guardian of the sweets.

Maria sits near Rosa. "Rosa-chan you are carrying a weapon?" Maria asked in a gentle tone. "Yes." Rosa answered turning to the blonde. "Can I see them?" Maria asked. Rosa nodded and she takes out her dark pink jacket exposing a pair of woven black straps on her shoulders, the straps strongly contrasting to the cream colored cotton shirt.

Rosa reaches over her right shoulder and pulls the stock of her .22 rifle. Maria can hear the metallic sound of magazines against wood as the little girl rests her jacket over the table. "You want me to assemble it?" Rosa asked with a smile. "Sure." Maria answered, actually hiding her surprise at the familiarity of the little girl in reaching and holding the stock. "Show me how it is done."

Rosa nodded and pointing the grip of the stock down she pulls the plastic and rubber back of the stock and in less that forty seconds the rifle was assembled and with a ten rounds magazine on it. Maria was shocked beyond words, that kind of practiced ease comes with countless times assembling and disassembling the same gun over and over again.

Rosa offers the rifle to the older woman, Maria smiled and takes the gun, she was surprised; she expected it to be light but not so light. Closely examining the gun Maria could see one large area of darkened and even more smoothened wood on the grip, and there were two of them, one inside the other.

A larger one clearly made by a much bigger hand and the smaller one inside the larger one was clearly from Rosa's little palm, to Maria it was even more shocking to find that; it only proved that Rosa held that rifle for many hours and many times to imprint her little palm on it.

"From who is this bigger mark?" Maria asked. "Daddy's." Rosa answered with a smile. "This rifle used to be his before he got Natalia." "Who is Natalia?" Maria asked confused, the name sounded Russian. "It is how daddy calls his big rifle, the one that he used yesterday." Rosa explained. "Daddy once told me that in the war he found this rifle and used it until he joined the armed forced and helped them to fight the criminals. They gave Natalia to him then but he kept this one in case of need or just plain hunting."

"You have a very good memory to remember of all that." Maria said with a smile. "Daddy says that I took it from mommy." Rosa replied cheerfully happy with the praise. "Did you ever saw her?" Maria asked. Rosa denied nodding sideways. "Daddy said that mommy was really weak and that she died few hours after I was born." Rosa answered. "But daddy showed me drawings of mommy and few pictures of her."

Maria nodded understanding, no wonder Rosa wasn't affected by her mother's death, she never knew her. Maria examined the rifle it was simple but at the same time functional, she could understand why it saw so much use and why Benji gave it to Rosa, the .22 ammo was the weakest round available and used in war but was able to kill when used right, it was also pretty recoilless making it perfect for a little girl like Rosa.

Hand the gun back to Rosa Maria saw the girl disassembling the rifle with the same ease that she assembled it. "You used it a lot?" Maria asked. "Uh huh!" Rosa nodded placing the stock on the holster again. "I trained a lot and also used it to aid daddy."

Maria noticed that Rosa's hands don't have any calluses and signs of practicing with a gun. "You use something on your hands?" Maria questioned curious, that was something that was bothering her, and she really wanted to get rid of the calluses of her revolver from her hands. "I use a cream." Rosa chirped. "Daddy buys for us to prevent our hands from getting rough."

Maria nodded and makes a mental note of asking to Benji where he gets that cream, she really could use it, while not vain as Sumire and Orihime Maria still indulged herself some things.

Later that day Reni's party started well, the German teen was embarrassed for being the center of everyone's attentions. But Orihime and Benji could tell that Reni was also happy, Reni hid well but they could tell by little subtle hints on her body language.

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Teito December Twenty seventh 1925; 6:27 AM

"Rosa-chan where your father is?" Sakura asked seeing the little blonde girl unaccompanied by the tall figure of her father. "Visiting mommy." Rosa answered drinking some tea. "He left early this morning."

"But isn't she…Ah….I understand it now." Sakura said with a small smile. "Why he left you here?" "It is too cold for me to stay in the open for long even with my coat." Rosa answered. "It is really cold." Kanna commented looking outside at the constantly falling snow. "But even for him must be harsh."

"When he left?" Ogami asked seriously, he hasn't even noticed movement in the halls. "Sometime before dawn." Rosa answered. "I was sleepy and didn't really notice the time."

"You two visit her often?" Orihime asked. "Two times a year." Rosa answered with a smile. "Once in my birthday that is in four months and once in November in mommy's birthday; Daddy tells mommy how I am behaving, what I did and how much I am growing."

"It seems like a normal grave visiting." Sumire commented. "But then why that sister was so filthy if you two came in November?" "We couldn't come this year." Rosa explained. "I got pretty sick and just got better a couple weeks before the hit on Miss Tachibana was made."

"That was bad so you two are late for her birthday." Sakura said seriously, whenever she could she would visit her father's grave on his birthday. "Daddy said that as soon it gets warmer we will go there." Rosa replied with a smile. "He doesn't want to risk me catching something because the cold."

"Well it explains why he wrapped you in the train." Maria commented. "I was wearing three pairs of pantyhose, two pairs of socks, warm panties, a flannel slip, two shirts, two skirts, one wool vest underneath and my jacket." Rosa said listing everything. "I was warm and comfy all the way."

"He is way more overprotective than I first imagined." Kohran said with a chuckle. "Well after what happened to his wife it is just natural." Kanna commented. "I am kind of jealous of you Rosa-chan you have the bestest father." Rosa nodded happily knowing that very well.

"I am starting to wonder when he will get tested." Ogami commented changing the subject. "It is holiday period taicho." Kanna said with a smile. "I am sure that the manager will have that test scheduled after the first week of January."

"From what I saw I think that will be rather pointless." Maria commented recalling how easily Benji killed the kouma just two days earlier. "And Rosa also has potential, way more than he does."

All the eyes turn to the little girl. "I fail to see it." Kohran commented. Rosa smiled and blows a kiss on Kohran's glass. "Rosa-chan that was cute but……" Kohran comment dies as the mikan juice on the glass starts to leak out from a thin clean cut in the glass. Rosa pouts seeing the glass still in once piece. Kohran throws the juice on her own plate and starts to exam the glass.

"It is almost like someone used a scalpel to cut this, it is so clean, it hasn't even cracked the glass around the cut." Kohran said in awe. "What you did Rosa-chan?" Sakura asked nervously. "Used my reiryouku in a simple blade of wind." Rosa answered. "Daddy can really do amazing things I can't even cut something if isn't weak or thin."

Sakura gaped at the little girl's answer, that kind of technique was really advanced; Sakura still remembers how hard it was for her to master the Haja Kensei. "Your father taught you that?" Sakura asked seriously.

"He only gives me pointers, I learned by watching him training." Rosa answered. "He also use wind attacks?" Kohran asked still in awe at the cut in the glass. "Daddy uses lightning attacks." Rosa replied. "It is really pretty to see. He says that I got the wind affinity from mommy."

"You got anything from him at all?" Sumire asked curious. "An undying love for guns, bikes and cats." Rosa answered with a large smile. "Also for music, books and anime!" "What is anime?" the hanagumi asked not knowing what that means. "It is a family secret." Rosa chirped.

Sakura chuckled at Rosa's words. "Well for sure the days will be even more interesting now." Sakura commented with a smile. "Yeah it will be fun with more people." Kanna added. "But girl you need some more time under the sun, you are as pale as a ghost."

"I like my skin this light." Rosa commented. "You better be." Sumire said with a smile. "Not exposing yourself to the sun too much will keep your skin fair and supple." And from spirit energy the conversation changed to cosmetic tips.

"How long he will be out?!" Orihime asked to Rosa worriedly. "It is way too long to visit a grave." "Normally we stay there the entire day." Rosa answered. "We have lunch with mommy." The lunch hour came and passed and Benji was still out.

"Hime you are too loud." Benji said entering on the dinning hall. "I could hear you from the entry." "Daddy!" Rosa exclaimed running and jumping to her father. Benji holds his daughter.

Rosa chuckle feeling his fingers adjusting her hair. "Daddy's hands are nice and cool!" Rosa chirped at the feeling. "Benji where are your gloves?" Orihime asked worried. "Wait a second where is your winter clothes?"

Benji was just wearing a pair of shoes, dark denim pants, a white t-shirt and a worn out leather jacket, his hair is damp from the snow that gathered there. "I wasn't needed them today." Benji replied holding Rosa; the little girl rubs her cheeks against Benji's cold face.

"You can catch your death like that!" Maria said seriously, she saw too many men freeze to death in the winter during the revolution. "Why you were out like that in a day like this?" Benji sighed. "I met Rosa's mother in a similar outfit." Benji said sitting on the chair that he took as his with Rosa on his lap.

"But I am sure that it wasn't winter then!" Orihime said seriously. Rosa holds Benji's cold hands and slips them under her shirt pressing them against her warm stomach. Rosa purred at the cold sensation. "Rosa seems to be taking the role of heater really well." Benji commented mostly to tease the two worried women.

Maria shrugs and walks away, why bother, but the scene was something that she would be able to forget. "I will fix you something hot." Orihime said moving to the kitchen. "Thanks." Benji replied wrapping Rosa with the front of his jacket fully covering her with it.

………Earlier in that day…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The light of the sun haven't even surged in the horizon when Benji arrived in the old shrine, with a bitter smile Benji finds the grave that he ordered for Alexis several days after her death otherwise she would be left in a unmarked one anywhere around the temple since the remained family from her husband wouldn't bury a foreigner in the ancient family tomb.

Cleaning the snow from the grave with his hands Benji silently looks at the marked stone. "Sorry for not coming in your birthday." Benji says to the grave as he kneels in front of it. "Rosa was sick this year; she got a really nasty cold because some of her classmates doused her with cold water and locked her out of the classroom until the teacher arrived. She is fine now but I didn't bring her here today to not risk her getting another one, it is too cold for her to be outside today."

His breath turns white with the cold as he remains sited over his legs on the snow. "I can't believe how fast she is growing." Benji said with a wistful smile. "It is almost like it was just yesterday that she was a newborn cradled in my arms and now she is a very active and bright little girl. I hope that you find how I am raising her of your liking, Rosa doesn't look like but she learns really fast, a little genius in everything. Maybe when she gets on your age she will be a famous something, hopefully not an assassin. I don't plan failing on that a second time."

"I am also growing a good family wealth for Rosa." Benji added. "Using the money that you left me and the knowledge that I have I started a company, it grew a lot in these past years, she will be well off in the future. But I am also teaching her the value of money and hard work. At least I think that I am doing a good work, I will let you judge that."

"But enough with that serious talk." Benji said after few moments of silence. "Rosa recently started to take dance lessons…"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Yoneda looks at Kayama. "You mean that for more than eight hours Benji simply vanished from the grid?" Yoneda asked seriously. "He jumped from the window of the room that was given to him and then vanished." Kayama answered. "We are assuming based on previously acquired information that he used some kind of technique to enhance his speed in a level that the human eye or electronic devices can't register. From that speed he then moved in places where we can't effectively monitor in our emergency system."

"Fitting." Yoneda said with a sigh. "Ayame what did you agreed with him?" Kaede looks at Yoneda questioning him in silence. "You sister spoke with Benji a second time." Yoneda explained to Kaede. "Well a total of five times before Sakura joined us and shortly after that Ogami were discovered and recruited. After that happened Ayame visited him one last time, actually he was in Yokohama at that time."

Kaede and Kayama hear in silence. "When she returned she said something about leaving the night alone." Yoneda added pulling a file case from his desk. "I am not sure of what she learned but I am sure that she took it to her grave, but there are several recorded incidents."

Kaede takes the case that Yoneda offered to her. "Assassination attempts, kidnapping attempts, blackmail, name it and it was planned against us." Yoneda continued. "But never anything happened, we only came to learn from those incidents and conspiracies much later, and I am afraid that it is only the tip of the iceberg. You saw what happened in Kyoto Kaede."

"You mean that the assassination attempt in Kyoto is part of this?" Kaede asked seeing reports and pictures of dead people in the file. "Every time that an outside or even inside force conspires against the imperial defense force or the imperial opera troupe an unknown third force crushes that enemy force." Yoneda answered. "Of course most of the times they are very discreet, the deaths look like accident or totally unrelated things as natural death or suicide."

"What is this?" Kaede asked holding a black card taken from the case. "A greeting card if you want to call it like that." Yoneda said pulling a field light from his drawer. "Use this light on the card."

Kaede nodded and does so. "Yorugumi?" Kaede asked surprised. "We have another division?" "As far as I know no." Yoneda answered seriously. "It took us three years to finally discover the secret of the light and the invisible paint in the card. But when I first red the name I recalled Ayame's words when she said that she wouldn't look at Benji anymore."

"So this yorugumi is a kind of secret division that he works with or is part of and my sister knew about it?" Kaede asked putting the light and the case over Yoneda's desk. "It is our theory." Kayama replied. "We believe that seeing that Benji wouldn't actively join the hanagumi she somehow convinced him to guard them from the shadows where he wanted to live, so we think that he somehow grew an organization so wide that can reach in secret branches of the military or even in radical groups, whenever there is a hit or action against someone important of the defense force they act cutting that evil from the root."

"It did appear that Benji was the leader of those women in Kyoto but I fail to see them as a secret assassination team that protects the hanagumi from threats that haven't even happened." Kaede said looking at the two. "Well Kaede-kun think a little if they have happened." Kayama said seriously. "Sumire being kidnapped because her family's wealth, same with Iris, some vengeful mobster from New York coming after Maria; can you see the possibilities?"

Kaede nodded now understanding, yes it made sense, actually a lot of sense when she thinks like that, Sumire was wealth and famous, a rival company could try to kidnap her for a ransom as well to use as leverage against the Kanzaki industries, Iris was from noble birth and also wealthy so it was the same.

"So you are telling that the only reason that they have a peaceful life is because that secret group?" Kaede asked seriously. "We believe so." Kayama answered. "Haven't you ever wondered how the girls walk around the city without being kidnapped because their fame? Criminals would do it solely for the ransom that the theater would likely pay for their actresses safe return. How obsessed fans never harass them?"

"Our theory is that this yorugumi has a twenty four hours surveillance and protection for each and every one of us, including my old bones." Yoneda added. "It would require a huge amount of personal as well money but from what you saw in Kyoto none of those seems to be a problem, they use the best available equipment."

"You think that the yorugumi has connections to the Kyoukan industries?" Kaede asked surprised. "It is a possibility that I can't just discard." Yoneda answered. "The time from the appearance of the company matches the time of Benji's refusal and the yorugumi, there is also the fact that Benji uses Kyoukan's vehicles."

Yoneda sips some sake. "I am not stalling the exam date for nothing." Yoneda added. "Kayama is trying to get information on Benji and on his daughter, but he has to be even more careful because the yorugumi, if Benji is part of it if not the leader then it will be very hard to get that information." Kaede nodded understanding.

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Teito January First 1926; 7:49 AM

Benji was with Rosa tagging with the hanagumi for the New Year prayers, as all the girls there Rosa was wearing a kimono. Benji was on his usual clothes, he didn't need more than that.

"Wait!" A priestess shouts to the group, the hanagumi stops walking from the shrine, it was too crowded to hang out in the stands even being so early in the morning. As the hanagumi Benji thinks that the miko wants to get an autograph from the hanagumi, but the raven haired girl is staring directly at Benji.

"Do you know that you have a spirit around you?" The priestess asked to Benji, the hanagumi look at the miko surprised. "This tall…" Benji chuckling said while lifting his hand to his shoulders. "Waist long golden hair and alabaster white skin?" "Exactly!" The miko replied. Benji chuckled and smile. "Of course I know it." Benji said picking up Rosa and walking away. "She is with me for four years now. She is watching over her brood."

"Wait it isn't good for you be haunted like that!" The miko said chasing Benji. "You understood what happened?" Sakura asked to Maria. "Well my best guess is that Benji is very well aware of the fact that the spirit of Rosa's mother is watching over them, rather closely." Maria answered. "I think that a Shinto priestess isn't familiar with the concept of a guardian angel."

End of the chapter nine:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that have read and reviewed and to everyone that is reading this story.


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